If your crape myrtle's trunk and branches look like they've been dusted with soot, that's likely crape myrtle bark scale. It's become a real problem for the crape myrtles that line so many Franklin and Brentwood yards.
The scale insects themselves are small and easy to miss, but the sticky honeydew they produce grows a black sooty mold on the bark. Left untreated over a few seasons, it can weaken flowering and slow the tree's overall vigor.
Treatment works best when it's caught in the early to moderate stages rather than after years of buildup. A trunk that's already heavily blackened usually needs a more involved treatment plan than a lightly affected one.
Have you noticed that sooty black coating creeping up your crape myrtle's trunk this year? It's worth a look before it spreads further.
#TreeHealth
An authentic close photo of a crape myrtle trunk showing the black sooty mold and white scale coating, ideally from a recent Franklin-area job. Close, clear texture shots communicate the issue best.
Canva text suggestion: "That soot on your crape myrtle isn't dirt" or "Bark scale season is here"