Sooty Mold of Conifers and Hardwoods

Sooty molds of trees and shrubs commonly occur throughout Virginia on conifers, hardwoods, and other plant species. They rarely cause problems in the forest, but in some cases they can interfere with proper growth of Christmas trees, nursery stock, or landscape plants.

The link address is: http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasefs/450-618/450-618.html