Sooty mold

Sooty mold is a collective, self-descriptive term for a number of different fungi; it is a black, powdery coating adhering to plants and their fruit or environmental objects.

[3] Common genera of sooty mold fungi found are Aethaloderma, Capnodium, Cladosporium, Euantennaria, Scorias, and Trichomerium.

[5] Sooty mold is commonly seen on the leaves of ornamental plants such as azaleas, gardenias, camellias, crepe myrtles, Mangifera and laurels.

If sap-sucking pests are responsible for the honeydew on which the mold is growing, there are several options: Using formulations of neem oil, which is an organic broad spectrum pesticide, insecticide, fungicide and miticide controls mites and insects such as whitefly, aphid, scale, and mealy bugs, and additional fungus diseases like black spot, rust, mildew, and scab.

[7] Synthetic insecticides such as the organophosphates acephate (orthene), malathion, or diazinon can be used in severe cases but read the labels for approved crops and the number of days to wait to harvest.