What is this sooty black mold on my crepe myrtles?

6 months ago

This year I have been seeing alot of this black sooty mold on many of my crepe myrtles. Have not seen it this bad before. Can anyone tell me what it is and how to get rid of it?

Thanks........

Judith

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Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 months ago
It is exactly that - black sooty mold. Sooty mold is a fungus that grows on the excrement (known as honeydew) of sucking insects like aphids or scale. It is relatively harmless to the plants it appears on unless a very heavy infestation that affects photosynthesis.

Although they may be long gone by now, you need to check your crapes for insect problems and address those first. Without the presence of sucking insects leaving their honeydew, there would be no sooty mold. The mold can be washed off with some effort and does disappear with repeated rains.
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alameda/zone 8/East Texas
Original Author
6 months ago
Hard to see insects - but apparently they are there. What can I spray to kill what insects are there?
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I got this same thing on a sweet cherry tree and end up chopping it down, of course it is growing out of the side of the trunk, I decided I will let it live and see if I can treat it so the avoid that nasty soot. I noticed I have alot of lady bugs on my roses and they eat those suckers. My crapes last year got black spot. I guess crapes and roses are strongly related?? I am trying a garlic, water and milk mixture to fight the fungus and bugs (I am guessing they hate the taste of garlic since they never touch any of my garlic plants. When I spray the leaves of my roses it seems to deter the bugs not sure just yet just experimenting. japanesse beetles dont' seem to be a problem, one year they showed themselves but didn't last long and didn't do much damage to anything. some people just use a strong spray of the hose to get rid of the aphids they can't climb back up once they are knocked off. I have alot of acrage and birds galore I am sure they eat the bugs and that is why I seldom have a problem with them, yet. RR
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texasredhead,i really don't know what kind of crepe myrtles i have to be honest...i bought them from home depot and all the tags said was "red crepe myrtle",i have 3 so far that are in late bloom i guess since they were bought about a month ago those are red,i have another that appears to white with tinges of pink,so apparently the tags were wrong,but i did pay for them and would like to see them grow,if you would follow my link to photobucket you would see where i have questioned what kinds of crepes i really bought as i left the tag on it,...i also bought some from lowes and were also the wrong colors..i was just concered that they had that black mold and was wondering if anyone could tell and also some type of bug all over which i mentioned in my first post...i also had to trm some of the branches as they were broken...thanks anyhow
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Black stuff on a crape myrtle is certainly black sooty mold. The mildew that these plants are prone to is powdery mildew, a white or gray disease of the leaves. Pterostyrax is correct that the black sooty mold is caused, most probably, by aphids (could be scale). However, I disagree that it is of no use to spray with dormant oil. Aphids overwinter as eggs in the nooks and crannies of our plants. Spraying with dormant oil is one of the BEST methods of suppressing a major outbreak come spring. I would spray three times during the winter and again in the spring just as the buds start to swell. Dormant oil applications are a very important part of IPM for Crape myrtles. In the spring and summer keep your eyes out for aphids on the new growth and be prepared with the insecticidal soaps.
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If the plant is of a manageable size, the easiest way to deal with sooty mold is to just wash it off. In itself, it is only cosmetic and harmless to the plant, unless it is heavy enough to interfere with photosynthesis. What is of greater concern is the reason for the sooty mold in the first place. Sooty mold is a harmless fungal organism that develops only on honeydew or the sweet, sticky excretions of various sucking insects.........aphids, scale and mealy bugs tend to be the most common producers. You need to discover which of these is present nearby and then control them. The insects do not necessarily need to be on the crape myrtle....they could just as easily be on any overhanging plant and the honeydew is merely dripping down on to the crape. And since it takes a while for the sooty mold to develop on the honeydew, it could also be that the insect source is now long gone. But check thoroughly anyway.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 months ago
Insect problems tend to fluctuate seasonally. And the sooty mold does take some time to develop. So you may very well not see any insects present currently. Before you can spray or otherwise treat for the insects, you need to confirm what they are. Aphids are relatively easy to treat; scale less so and with proper timing required.

Can you post any clear photos showing any insects that are present now?
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alameda/zone 8/East Texas thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
Original Author
6 months ago
Not really - I dont see any. I might call my local Tx A&M Forestry guy and have him come take a look. I know what aphids look like but I cant find any evidence of anything but the mold. By the way gardengal..........I always enjoy your comments on clematis!!
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 months ago
" I know what aphids look like but I cant find any evidence of anything but the mold "

And that's not entirely unexpected :-) Scale is a year round issue and would be obvious if present. But aphids and whiteflies, etc. are much more transitory and certainly less active or present late in the year. They can be long gone with the sooty mold still very much present

So no need to get your guy out to look now......he won't find anything either. And the leaves will be dropping soon anyway. Wait until the crapes start to push new growth in spring and keep a close watch then for sucking insects - they favor succulent new growth. And relatively easy to treat with insecticidal soap or just a strong stream of water from the hose.
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What is this sooty black mold on my crepe myrtles?

Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

alameda/zone 8/East Texas
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What is this sooty black mold on my crepe myrtles?

Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

alameda/zone 8/East TexasOriginal Author

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alameda/zone 8/East TexasOriginal Author

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alameda/zone 8/East Texas
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