Hi, I have a problem with black dust that is covering a large part of the leaves on my Camellia. The plant is in a sheltered spot under the eaves of the house, half in , half out of the rain. The part that gets wet when it rains is black dust free. The back of the area that the plant is in is very dry. Is this as simple as the plant being too dry overall? The plant is Camellia Sasanqua "Chansonette" Thanks MXB
Hello MXB the "dust" you are seeing is from a fungus commonly known as Sooty Mold. This is common on camellias and it is a fungus that lives on the excrement or Honey Dew of insects. This fungus does not need a plant to survive just the sweet honey dew. I suggest scouting the plant to see if there is an insect colony such as scale or aphids, mealy bugs etc. if you get those under control then the sooty mold will disappear too. Wash the leaves to physically remove the black soot and then spray with an insecticidal soap if insects are detected. Visit your local garden centre for more advice and it would help if you took in a sample for them to look at. I hope this helps Pierrot
