Japanese Maple Black Stems and Wilting: Sooty Mold from Insects

Upper Branches Turn Black, Leaves Wilt Every Few Years

PNW climate. Owner checks drip, cuts back to healthy growth.

Black stems likely sooty mold from insect infestation (scale, aphids). Google sooty mold images. Suitable insecticide prevents recurrence.

Plant Diseases: Japanese Maple Honeydew and Sooty Mold: Aphid or Scale Infestation; Japanese Maple White Tendrils: Ambrosia Beetle Toothpicks, Not Mold; Japanese Maple Spring Leaf Damage: Herbicide Injury vs. Winter Kill; Orange Fungus at Base of Japanese Maple: Mulch Decay, Not Tree Disease; Quaking Aspen Black Branches: Sooty Mold from Scale Insects; Japanese Maple Sunscald: Identification, Prevention, and Borer Risk; Coral Bark Japanese Maple Trunk Discoloration: Cold Injury; Japanese Maple Leaf Spots: Phyllosticta Leaf Spot Diagnosis and Management; Dwarf Japanese Maple Scorch: South Exposure + 90°F = Leaf Burn; Container Japanese Maple Sudden Decline

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