Question
I have 2 flowering _____ trees in a house I just bought in January. Only the top had white flowers this spring the remaining branches have black mold all over them. It looks like knots of this black mold evey foot or so on the branches. One tree is very bad but it is starting on a 2nd one near by. What can I do to save these. I live in upstate New York region.  

Answer
It sounds to me like Black Knot--a disease that effects plums and cherries. It is common on these and cause the branches and possibaly the tree to die. Here is a web link to the discription of Black Knot with pictures and control recomendations--which consist of pruning and destroying the infected branches and the use of a fungicide spray. It can be controlled.  http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/notes/oldnotes/fd4.htm