My Wisteria Has Black Powder on the Large Stems

Question

On the stems of my wisteria there are places where the bark has peeled back showing something that looks like a black powder. Is that a mold?

Answer 1

It actually sounds like it could be sooty mold, which is oftentimes brought about by pests, like aphids. You can treat this with neem oil to get rid of whatever pest it may be as well as the fungus, as neem oil is both an insecticide and fungicide. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/how-to-get-rid-of-sooty-mold.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/problems/pests/neem-oil-uses.htm