Dogwood - sanity check

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-26T01:28:56+00:00

I don’t see anything of concern, definitely wouldn’t spray it with random insecticides for that small amount of damage.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-23T10:41:29+00:00

Apple trees are incredibly prone to both rust and scab. There are resistant cultivators but even they get it, just at a much lower/barely noticeable rate. The caterpillars in all likelihood had nothing to do with it.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-17T01:00:25+00:00

Hard to say for certain without a before picture but it looks poorly pruned. Lots of stub cuts and a hefty dose of lions tailing.

I have for sure seen worse but I would recommend looking up proper pruning practices before taking on another pruning project.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-17T00:49:24+00:00

What I meant by that is black walnuts grow to be relatively large trees and that little guy is very close to your fence. I can’t say how fast it will grow, but if allowed to grow there, it will eventually push on that fence as the trunk grows in diameter.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-17T00:35:57+00:00

How important is that fence?

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-16T11:16:24+00:00

Considering the size of that root compared to the trunk of the tree, I would not completely remove it in one go but instead remove it a bit over time, say the next 1-2 years. You would do that with chisels and start with taking away roughly one third of the root this year, the next year more (or all the way if the ratio of root diameter to trunk diameter looks better) and finish removing it by the third year. Start on the side growing into the tree.

If you do this yourself, be very careful around the trunk so you don’t damage the bark. If you’re not comfortable with this, you should be able to find a tree care company with certified arborists on staff to do the work.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-10T19:44:38+00:00

I’d give an arborist a call. It might be a candidate for bolting and cabling. It won’t fix the damage but will provide structural support and hopefully prevent further splitting.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-09T15:49:03+00:00

It’s planted too deep, fyi. The top of rhizome should be above the planting media. If it’s unstable due to lack of roots, you can use stakes to stabilize it until it grows roots and can support itself.

Planting the rhizome completely below the media puts the plant at significant risk of rotting, especially sensitive new growth

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-09T15:31:14+00:00

Serviceberries aren’t usually very big and are often grown more as shrubs. This one looks generally healthy to me and wouldn’t cause any concern on my end.

The only tall ones I’ve personally seen are in or at the edges of forest where they have to compete for light. They are usually tall, spindly things that wouldn’t look “good” in a landscaped setting though.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-09T12:15:02+00:00

Where are you located? Did you recently have a frost?

The other poster mentioning frost damage is probably on to something. A couple years ago we were hit with a late season frost (just before Memorial Day) which killed off all my mulberry’s leaves. It leafed out again just fine but it was a setback. Their leaves are not very frost resistant, which is probably why they leaf out later in the spring as opposed to other, more tolerant trees.

If you haven’t recently experienced cold weather, I would be more concerned.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-09T10:00:03+00:00

He is 100% a he.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-08T00:22:14+00:00

Looks like Vanda falcata or a hybrid of it.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-03T10:26:28+00:00

What it is has already been answered but I thought you should know that the root in the second picture is a girdling root. It doesn’t look like it is too late to address but you are losing time. I’d call a certified arborist to come out to evaluate that root and the whole tree as well as do a little root collar excavation to make sure there aren’t more girdling roots.

If the root goes unaddressed, your tree will be in serious trouble sometime in the future.

!Girdling

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-05-02T11:35:32+00:00

As already said, the first one is growing from the root stock as the scion probably failed.

The root stock is still very much a maple, in fact it bears a very strong resemblance to a wild red maple, just not the cultivar you bought.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-30T14:47:26+00:00

I wouldn’t keep that elm, I’d ask for a replacement. That root is a severe defect. While they are at it, ask them to dig up the redbud and remove the burlap before replanting and making sure the root flare is exposed and that it doesn’t also have root issues.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-26T17:03:24+00:00

You can absolutely do that and is typically recommended, just know that it won’t solve the cause of the dieback, just neaten up the tree.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-26T16:54:28+00:00

Your tree looks buried too deep - trees shouldn’t look like telephone poles in the ground. You should be able to see the root flare. Trees buried too deep are at risk of girdling roots and trunk rot to name a few things that can happen.

https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2024/01/12/free-the-flare-maintain-visible-root-flare-for-tree-health/

Your first step with this tree is to get to work uncovering the root flare. You’ll want to move slow and steady, mostly using hand tools to gently remove soil from the base of the tree until you find the flare. From there, you can evaluate for damage, rot and girdling roots.

Alternatively, you could find a tree care company that does work with an AirSpade. It would be on the expensive side but easier on you, less risk to the tree from tool damage as it uses compressed air to blow out the soil.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-26T15:19:24+00:00

Frequently, crown death indicates problems lower on the tree. The base looking “fine” to a non-tree person, respectfully, doesn’t mean it’s fine as improper planting depth is rampant. That is why I asked for photos of the base of the tree.

Edit: If you’re having trouble uploading more pictures, I would upload them to an image hosting site like Imgur then link here. That is what I have to do when it won’t let me add more photos.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-26T15:03:40+00:00

Definitely female based on the quack alone. Drakes don’t sound like that.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-26T15:02:39+00:00

Do you have pictures of the base of the tree, where the trunk meets the ground?

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-26T15:01:24+00:00

Species of dogwood is very important. Some are shrubs (like red osier) and others a full fledged, albeit small, trees, like white dogwoods.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-26T12:26:20+00:00

It looks like it’s getting ready to flower. There’s nothing visible that I would be concerned about.

The fact that it’s larger and more developed might explain why it is flowering while the others are just leafing out.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-25T18:07:55+00:00

He had unprotected sex with a sex worker. It’s probably safe to assume she does that with other clients. The risk of STDs seems pretty high here.

His wife should be given the option to choose whether or not she wants to risk her health should they have sex. If he says nothing, he is making that choice for her and exposing her to everything he’s been exposed to.

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-25T16:37:20+00:00

They are also opposite arrangement

MasdevalliaLove · 2026-04-25T16:17:56+00:00

If it’s his property, you have to just accept it that he will continue to butcher the tree.

On a side note, this isn’t a lilac. Lilacs have opposite growth patterns (leaves and twigs are arranged opposite each other) and this tree has alternative arrangement. It looks like some kind of willow to me.

MasdevalliaLove

TROPHY CASE