The fact that crapemyrtles have the potential for a long flowering period (up to 120 days) in the summer has given rise to the popularity of this plant in our state. Crepe myrtle scale arrived here a few years ago as an accidental import from Asia. The common garden pests that infect crepe myrtle are aphids. Spray with a neem oil product, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to control most pests that are infesting crape myrtle trees. No Blooms. So it naturally follows that the key to getting rid of sooty mold on your crape myrtle trees is to control the pests that are infesting them. They cause sooty mold by leaving their organic material on Crape Myrtle leaves. It is hardy in the US zones 7 to 9. Once the mated females produce their ovisacs (egg-containing capsules) and lay eggs, they die. In addition to the presence of these bumps there is often also an emergence of unsightly black sooty-looking mold which develops resembling black dust on the leaves and bark of the crape myrtle plant.These are the defining characteristics which make up crape myrtl… Then they secrete a sticky honeydew that black mold grows on. Zuni crape myrtles have tan and white bark as well as brilliant red-orange fall color. When you find bark coming off a crepe myrtle, you might think it is diseased and be tempted to treat it with a pesticide or antifungal treatment. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper and Mike Dennison show how to use a soil drench to treat Crape Myrtle Bark Scale. Patches of white to grayish powdery growth occur on the surfaces of leaves, flowers and new shoots. Grayish-white patches on the bark near pruning wounds or in branch crotches hide colonies of the insects. But this peeling doesn’t happen until the crepe myrtle is fully mature. Preventing sooty mold involves controlling the pests that are the root cause. Plant breeders have developed crape myrtle hybrids to combat mildew issues that plague plants in humid climates. For much of the year, crepemyrtle tree bark is smooth to the touch and dusty gray or light brown colored. The female’s body shrinks as eggs are pro- duced. Some of the problems CMBS brings about are the limiting of blooms; you’ll see a little bit of reduction in the blooms. Up close, CMBS is whit… Infected parts of the plant are usually distorted and stunted. If the black residue is coating only one area of your tree, check for a cut or gash. Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale is a relatively new nonnative scale that was first detected in the U.S. in 2004. The leaves are opposite and simple, with entire margins, and vary from 5–20 cm (2–8 in). In some instance, insects may be to blame, so check for aphids or other pests. It has very noticeable symptoms which include a white or grayish powdery coating on the leaf surface. The scale is a sucking insect that feeds on the phloem (sap) of plants. The problem usually goes unnoticed until plants begin turning black with a fungus called sooty mold when it begins to grow on insect droppings. Most gardeners will be alerted to CMBS by black sooty mold which appears on the bark . However, you should know that peeling bark on crepe myrtle is normal. Crepe myrtle scale arrived here a few years ago as an accidental import from Asia. Crape myrtle bark scale (“CMBS,” Eriococcus lagerstroemia) was first identified in Texas in 2004, and is now a common pest. Heavy infestations of crapemyrtle bark scale produce sufficient honeydew to coat leaves, stems and bark of the tree. How to Care for a Prairie Fire Crabapple Tree, How to Treat Pecan Trees That Have Worms in the Nuts, Missouri Botanical Garden: Lagerstroemia Indica, University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Sooty Mold, University of Minnesota Extension: Sooty Mold, Clemson Cooperative Extension: Crape Myrtle Diseases & Insect Pests, How to Care for the Pink Powder Puff Tree, How to Get Rid of Scales on Japanese Maples. All varieties provide striking colour in summer, wonderful autumn foliage and in winter have beautiful, ornate bark. It started in Texas and has moved into at least 11 other states and initially it is infesting only crape myrtles. Slowly over the last 13 years it has moved northward and is now a serious threat to Crepe Myrtles in Hampton Roads. Crape Myrtle Bark Scale is a recent (2004) invasive insect from Asia. Check for the pests on stems, stem tips, flower buds and the undersides of leaves. Crape myrtle bark scale will appear like a white waxy crusty dot found on the tree trunk, branches or bark. A new pest threatens the South's favorite flowering tree. Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale (or CMBS) is relatively easy to identify in heavy infestations, but can be difficult to notice in its early stages on Crepe Myrtles. It winters over in dormant buds and shows small white circles on new leaves when spring arrives. Tree to 25-30 feet tall, 15-25 feet wide. It blooms in abundance in summer and fall, with huge panicles of densely packed, crinkled flowers. Adult females are felt-like white or gray encrustations that stick to crape myrtle parts ranging from small twigs to large trunks. Crapemyrtle bark scales build shells over themselves so normal insecticides won’t kill them. Credit: Powdery, black residue on your crape myrtle trees (Lagerstroemia indica) probably isn't doing them any harm, but the same can't be said for the pests that cause it. Crape myrtles are usually free of pests and diseases, but have issues with Japanese beetle which feeds on the leaves and flowers, sooty mold, cercospora leaf spot, and powdery mildew. The crepe myrtle will absorb the insecticide and all scales feeding on it will die. Crape myrtle bark scale is relatively easy to identify. Check out our recent post that covers topping crape myrtles and why you shouldn’t do it. With literally hundreds of sizes and colors available, crape (or crepe) myrtles are a terrific, low-maintenance choice for prolific blooms during hot, humid summers. It also sometimes strikes these plants which are in shady locations. Sooty mold that has appeared due to a wound should stop growing when the wound heals. Physical damage . When pressed or scraped, CMBS leaves behind a pinkish residue. The sooty mold fungi can also grow on resin or sap that oozes from wounds in the stems or bark. Since then, it spread rapidly. L. indica – Also known as the common crape myrtle, this species is the most popular among crape myrtles. Aphids are tiny, soft-bodied insects that live in clusters; scales look like small, flat, rounded shells; whiteflies are tiny, white flies; and mealybugs are small, white, segmented insects covered in a crumbly wax coating. Sterilize the blades of the shears when you've finished by dipping them in rubbing alcohol again. Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. What Are Those White Specks on My Crepe Myrtle? Controlling them requires a two-step approach each year. Large leaves (8-12 inches long, 4 inches wide) turn red in fall. These symptoms are only seen on the leaf but if the tree gets this crepe myrtle disease then the flowers and the growth of this crepe myrtle are the affected. Crapemyrtle bark scale on trunk during winter. If you mash or prick one of these spots it will bleed pink or red . Wrap sticky ant protection strips around the tree trunks and prune any tree parts that touch another tree or structure to prevent ants from reaching your trees. A graduate of Leeds University, Jenny Green completed Master of Arts in English literature in 1998 and has been writing about gardening and homes since 2007. Read these essentials crepe myrtle care tips. One of the fastest growing crape myrtles, Lagerstroemia 'Red Rocket' is a splendid, rounded, deciduous shrub with a profusion of large clusters, up to 24 in. This sooty mold grows on a by-product of sucking insects including scale and aphids. In winter, the top layer of bark peels away, exposing cream or pinkish-orange wood underneath. Crape myrtle cultivars range from 18 inches to 40 feet tall and grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. It is hardy in the US zones 7 to 9. Not only as medicine, can crepe myrtle also be used as herbs that are good for the health. Some contents of crepe myrtle are also believed to be used as medicines and herb potions to maintain a good health. Crepe myrtle scale has no natural enemies here yet, so follow the Grumpy Gardener's tips for controlling this pest. The crapemyrtle is native to Southeast Asia. Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale (let’s call it CMBS) is a small insect that appears as a white or gray felt-like encrustation. Spring Master Gardener Class; Qtr 4, 2020; MGNA Plant Sale; Week of July 27; Week of July 13; MG INTERNS! Powdery mildew typically develops in late spring and fall and is associated with warm day and cool night temperatures and high humidity. Slowly over the last 13 years it has moved northward and is now a serious threat to Crepe Myrtles in Hampton Roads. Aphids. Although it looks unsightly, sooty mold isn't harmful to human health. Adult females produce a white, felt-like sac around their bodies and lay approximately 100 to 300 pink eggs inside this sac. A hardy, disease-resistant small tree variety of crape myrtle is the Commanche, which produces coral pink flowers and has light brown bark. Crape myrtles are a very hardy trees with lots of reserves, so it would take several seasons of bark scale for the tree to succumb to this pest. Crepe myrtles create interest all year and are adaptable to many sized gardens. Crepe myrtle scale arrived here a few years ago as an accidental import from Asia. Since then, it spread rapidly. Just wash your hands with warm water and soap to remove the black marks. Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale (let’s call it CMBS) is a small insect that appears as a white or gray felt-like encrustation. A new pest threatens the South’s favorite flowering tree There is a new insect pest coming after the South’s favorite flowering tree: Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale. Wait three to four minutes; then thoroughly rinse the trees with fresh, clean water. If aphids quickly recolonize your crape myrtle trees, ants could be the underlying cause of the problem. The eggs remain protected within the white colored ovisacs until the crawlers (immatures) hatch and disperse onto the branches. But there's nothing to worry about. Each female lays about 60 to 250 eggs, which may over-winter within their ovisacs, and then hatch during mid- to late April to May. A strong jet of water from a hose washes off many aphid clusters, but has little effect on scales, whiteflies or mealybugs. The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. A&M has identified this pest as Eriococcus lagerstroemiae, and suspects that it was brought into the U.S. on a crape myrtle plant. Crepe myrtle scale has no natural enemies here yet, so this is the only effective control. The disease is most serious in shady, damp locations, especially where plants are crowded … When covered by ground covers and vines or any kind of soil or mulch — including gravel or stones — the bark cannot breathe properly, stress sets in, and the pest problems result. * Size: 'Sarah's Favorite' grows about 18 to 20 feet tall by 12 feet wide in 20 years. Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale (or CMBS) is relatively easy to identify in heavy infestations, but can be difficult to notice in its early stages on Crepe Myrtles. Crepe myrtle bark scale insects make their home on the plant's exfoliating white bark, where they conceal themselves beneath protective wax. Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale is a relatively new nonnative scale that was first detected in the U.S. in 2004. It seems everywhere in the South a crepe myrtle could be planted it has been. Often times, the first sign of CMBS is the black sooty mold on the tree bark. Adult white scale is a tiny grey or whitish pest easily identified by its waxy, crust-like covering. Arborday.org – Tree ID Tool; Current Garden Thymes . Sooty mold then is a symptom of a pest infestation and not a disease of the plant. Insects that are fond of crape myrtle and that excrete honeydew include scales (Eriococcus lagerostroemia), greenhouse whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum), crepe myrtle aphids (Tinocallis kahawaluokalani) and mealybugs (Pseudococcidae family). SIGNUP GENIUS RECENT POSTS. While disease-resistant, the crape myrtle is not free from pests and health issues. The flowers of crepe myrtle are the reason why it is so popular. It blooms in abundance in summer and fall, with huge panicles of densely packed, crinkled flowers. It was found in Ocean Springs in Jackson County, and then soon after in Olive Branch and Southaven in DeSoto County. Such popularity comes at a price, however, as it makes it easy for a pest to hop from one tree to another. They suck sap from the tree and then drip sticky honeydew on leaves and branches on which sooty mold grows. Several types of insects feed on tree sap, secreting a sweet, sticky honeydew that sooty mold fungi thrive on. The showiest and most tender of the crepe myrtles, displaying huge clusters of white, pink, lavender or purple flowers in June and July. On new growth and in heavy infestations, the scales may be distributed more uniformly on the branch (Figs. Southern Living is a registered trademark of, These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021, 7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020, 50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime. When the entire plant turns black and appears to be dirty, suspect a pest infestation. Not only as medicine, crepe myrtle can also be used as herbs that are good for the health. In its native area it can infest a number of other plants, but right now it is mostly focused on crape myrtles. 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