Crepe Myrtle Leaves Turning Black!

My 6 yr old crepe myrtle's leaves are turning Black. Upon close inspection, the leaves are covered with aphids, and the bark is beginning to peel.

What should I do to save my tree? It's about 9-11 ft tall , so I can get into the branches to spray it if advised.

Thanks!

Linda

The aphids are secreting honeydew which makes it very easy for black sooty mold to grow. It won't harm the tree but it indeed looks ugly. Spray with a soapy solution to rid the aphids and mold or you can try a hard spray to knock the mold off.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooty_mold

Or see if you can buya bag of Ladybugs at your local nursery, they would love a good meal!

Hi. I posted something that was an error so I deleted it.

This message was edited Jul 31, 2012 2:42 AM

Thanks, guys!

hcmcdole,
I think you're correct and what I'm seeing on the leaves is indeed a black, sooty mold. That gives me good hope I can correct this situation.