We really can't help you without a better description or (even better) a photograph. Is this 'mildew' on the leaves or on the trunk?

Japanese Magnolia can be susceptible to powdery mildew as well as a number of leaf spot problems of fungal origin. The darker stuff could also be black sooty mold, which indicates the presence of certain insects. That's where a photograph would help. Does this dark stuff seem to wipe off, or is it actually part of the leaf tissue?

Am I going in the right direction?

OK, I posted some pics to photo bucket and I'm going to try to link to it. When I did it in the test forum t worked, so we'll see. Can you post pics in the body of the message onn this forum? If so maybe next time I can figure out how to do it that way.

Here is a link that might be useful: The leaves

Yes, you can post pics in the message box but your pics are huge. The dimensions are 1288x966 pixels which won't fit most monitors. 234 kb will take a long time to load for someone with dial up connection. 100 kb or less would be better. So would be posting a thumbnail.

{{gwi:364545}}

Here is a link that might be useful: For more help, post here ;-)

At the very least, you have a case of powdery mildew going on. Am not certain about what else might be happening.

Ordinarily, I advise people that this plant disease is preventable, but you have a susceptible plant species growing in what looks like a fairly shady location. Over the winter and in the spring, you should do some preventative maintenace and see if you can't avoid this altogether.

You might also want to consider a natural or synthetic fungicide at this point. Neem oil is gaining much attention for the prevention AND cure of PM, though more useful in the former. You may want to apply a synthetic, but be sure to read the label to make sure it says that the active ingredient will CONTROL PM, not just PREVENT it.

Here is a link that might be useful: PM management

I have a Japanese Magnolia that just completed blooming.
I have had it for a few years but this is the first year I notice something that looks like a minature pine cone.

Could this be a seed pod? If not do they seed, and if so what would I look for? A answer via email aja7731@yahoo.com would be appreciated.

Thanks God Bless