If your dogwood, oak, sycamore, or maple has developed irregular brown spots, dead patches along leaf margins, or premature leaf drop this spring, you may be looking at anthracnose, and it's showing up across Middle Tennessee right now.
Anthracnose is a fungal leaf disease that thrives during cool, wet spring conditions, exactly the kind of weather we've had heading into early summer. It looks alarming, especially on dogwoods, where the blotching can affect a significant portion of the canopy. In most established, healthy trees, one season of anthracnose doesn't cause permanent damage. But in trees already under stress, or if infections recur year after year, the cumulative effect on tree health becomes a real concern.
What separates a manageable case from a serious one depends on the tree species, the severity of infection, and the overall health of the tree going into the season. This is exactly the kind of evaluation our ISA Certified Arborist is trained to make accurately.
If you're seeing unusual leaf symptoms on any of your trees right now, don't wait for them to get worse.
Have you noticed any brown spots, blotching, or early leaf drop on your trees this spring? Which trees are you watching? #FranklinTN #TreeHealth
A close-up photo of anthracnose symptoms on a dogwood or oak leaf, or a wider shot of a tree with visible canopy damage. Authentic photos from a Franklin-area job or inspection are ideal. If no job photo is available, a clear diagnostic close-up showing the leaf symptoms is appropriate here.
Canva text suggestion: "Seeing Brown Spots on Your Trees?" or "Anthracnose Is Active in Middle Tennessee"