sooty mold

noun

: a dark growth of fungus mycelium growing in insect honeydew on plants

also : any of various ascomycetous fungi (order Dothideales) producing such growth

Examples of sooty mold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The insect also produces large amounts of sticky honeydew, which promotes the growth of black sooty mold—a plant disease—that can interfere with photosynthesis and coat leaves, branches, and outdoor surfaces. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026

Like aphids, whiteflies leave behind sticky honeydew that can turn to black sooty mold. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 7 July 2026

These aphids may also leave a sticky honeydew residue in their wake, which can develop sooty mold and make affected plants look like they’re coated in a fine, dark powder. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 June 2026

The sticky residue can cover a plant (and your garden furniture and car), allowing a black, sooty mold to grow. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sooty mold

• copyhold
• decontrolled
• hundredfold
• manifold
• marigold
• oversold
• petioled
• sevenfold
• stranglehold
• subthreshold
• thousandfold
• uncontrolled