magnolia tree

[chrisgolf0]

my 40 year old Magnolia Tree appears to have died.no flowers or leaves and it looks black,has it just come to the end of its life or is it possibly a disease?

[nonomaybe]

It could be the "dreaded" sooty mould which is usually more an aesthetic problem than health. This comes about through infestations of honeydew producing insects such as Aphids.It is the secretions that bring about the sooty mould.However if the tree is heavily coated with mould this may prevent photosynthesis. Cut back discreetly on a couple of branchlets, or twigs and if the core shows green you have life!! Then you need to clean of the mould which should be quite easy with a hose.