Aphids and other sap-sucking insects can drain crepe myrtle sap and spread sooty mold, while leaf spot is a fungal issue that can weaken plants, impair blooming, and leave unsightly splotches on ...

Dear Neil: Regarding crape myrtle bark scale — Southeastern Virginia has been battling this pest for years. The scale itself will not kill the plants. However, the sooty mold is the real problem.

Dear Neil: Regarding crape myrtle bark scale – Southeastern Virginia has been battling this pest for years. The scale itself will not kill the plants. However, the sooty mold is the real problem.

Honeydew, a sugary excrement, can be seen on bark and leaves Sooty mold can follow honeydew and turn bark and leaves black and gray (Figure 2). It is not a pathogen but will discolor plants Crape ...

This honeydew will then eventually turn black as it is colonized by fungi called sooty mold. Crape myrtles are the most popular summer flowering tree in the U.S. Although rarely fatal to the trees ...

Q: Regarding crape myrtle bark scale – Southeastern Virginia has been battling this pest for years. The scale itself will not kill the plants. However, the sooty mold is the real problem.