Hi Derek,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the UNH Extension Infoline. I appreciate the photos that you've included with your question!

It looks like you may be unfortunately dealing with Magnolia Scale. However, to be 100% accurate, I'd strongly recommend submitting a sample to our UNH Extension plant diagnostic lab OR your closest Extension plant diagnostic lab in NY. I want to make sure you receive the 100% accurate answer so you know how to best treat this issue. 

Here is the link for the UNH Plant Diagnostic Lab homepage, which has the address to send the sample to, as well as information on best practices for submitting a plant sample and other resources: Plant Diagnostic Lab Homepage

And here is the link to the submission form to submit a plant diagnostic sample: UNH Plant Diagnostic Lab

We also would recommend reaching out to a NY certified arborist that can visit your property and assess the tree's health in person: https://nysarborists.com/

Additional resources:
https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2018/07/why-are-leaves-my-magnolia-turning-black-attracting-wasps
https://extension.psu.edu/magnolia-scale
https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/magnolia-scale-neolecanium-cornuparvum/
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/magnolia-scale/

Please reach out if you have any further questions. Thank you!

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