Phil,
Good Morning. If you do spray off the lichen then I would think it would only be a temporary relief. They will return in time. Normally, lichens will attach to plants that are in a declining state. Doug

Good Afternoon, Ann
This dogwood tree has some age to it. And, it seems to be in a declining state of health. Age may be the biggest factor for the causing of dying branches. A couple things – be sure that mulch is not build up high onto the trunk of this tree. Second, check the trunk for any small holes that could indicate a borer, which is an insect the borers into the wood and destroys the inside of the trunk. Other than this, I am not sure what to advise you as to what to do with your dogwood tree. Good luck, Doug

I have a dogwood tree in my front yard flower garden. It’s been there at least 30 years, as my husband and I have been in our current home at least 24 years, and that tree was at least 25’ high when the house was purchased. There was no lichen on the tree then. It had a gorgeous triangular form, but has since had dead branches, which I have removed from time to time. The garden has been planted, replanted, and rearranged with many, many different plants over the years, including last year (I love gardening and a beautiful yard.). I’m adding more creeping Jenny this year. How may I accurately assess the issue with the dead branches, since the lichen isn’t the cause?

I’m looking out a focal window now and seeing dead branches which need removing, allowing me to use my pole saw for the first time.?

Judy,
First, thank for reading my blogs and thank you for taking time to give some feedback. I did not read anything about this aspect that you are sharing. So glad that you added this great information for our beloved hummingbirds. Again, thank you Judy. Take care, Doug

Ned,
I have seen lichen growth on cherry trees. Not that uncommon because they are a slower growing tree that will not shed its bark. With this said, it seems that the one cherry tree is struggling to survive for one reason or another. You mention guey stuff on it. This guey stuff could be sap that is oozing out. Inspect the trunk of these cherry trees carefully and see if you see any holes in the trunk. If so, this could be caused by a boring insect that has gotten inside the trunk that is causing the tree(s) to decline. If it is borers then you may want to apply a systemic insect drench to both trees in order to kill any insects inside the trunk of the trees. One systemic drench that I recommend is by Bayer called 12 MONTH SYSTEMIC INSECT CONTROL. This is a soil drench product. The plant will take it up through its root system into the vascular system of the tree and give you insect protection for a year. Let me know if you have any further questions. Doug