Had this crepe myrtle for 1 1/2 years, lost its leaves winter last year and came back great in spring. It’s losing its leaves again, but I don’t recall the branches turning black. Is this seasonal as well or indicative of a bigger issue?
by fooking_legend
3 Comments
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1524514444738
Black sooty mold. Probably from an insect infestation or scale.
There are better plants to use. Something native maybe? They are generally tough as nails. Some folks say desert willow is the best plant in the world.
Crape myrtle turning black is often a symptom of crape myrtle bark scale. You can treat in the spring by doing a soil drench with insecticide, which the tree will suck up through its branches, helping defend against it for about a year. Many myrtles in the south are now infected and this came over to the US in 2004.