mushroom experts?
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Tree Machine
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Mushrooms around the base of trees
To ID them properly I would need to know the color of the spores. There are a lot of mushrooms out there that look like other mushrooms. Spore color is one of those identifying factors. To do a spore print, cut the cap off the stem, and place it gills-down on a piece of white paper for a couple hours.
Attached is a print I made of shiitake, though it's on grocery bag paper. I was putting these spores into an oak log, not identifying them. -TM-
To ID them properly I would need to know the color of the spores. There are a lot of mushrooms out there that look like other mushrooms. Spore color is one of those identifying factors. To do a spore print, cut the cap off the stem, and place it gills-down on a piece of white paper for a couple hours.
Attached is a print I made of shiitake, though it's on grocery bag paper. I was putting these spores into an oak log, not identifying them. -TM-
Tree Machine
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Mushrooms around the base of trees, continued.
With very few exceptions, mushrooms,-actually we should say fungus- are saprophytic as opposed to parasitic. This means they grow on dead material, as opposed to growing on living material.
A noteworthy exception is Armillaria mellea, and it's relatives, which your mushroom definitely is not. Armillaria grow in clusters, on dead OR live wood, making it a hated mushroom by the tree community as it can parasitize and kill it's host. This is very, very unusual for a fungus. -TM-
With very few exceptions, mushrooms,-actually we should say fungus- are saprophytic as opposed to parasitic. This means they grow on dead material, as opposed to growing on living material.
A noteworthy exception is Armillaria mellea, and it's relatives, which your mushroom definitely is not. Armillaria grow in clusters, on dead OR live wood, making it a hated mushroom by the tree community as it can parasitize and kill it's host. This is very, very unusual for a fungus. -TM-
Tree Machine
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Mo mushrooms
Almost all of the mushrooms you see growing on, or out of a tree, you'll notice originate from an old wound site, a cavity or a natural break in the bark (i.e. vertical stress crack, or a split).
If you see them on the ground below a tree, often it's off of dead, subsurface wood, like a dead root. On lightning-struck trees you can see mushrooms (after a day or two of rain) growing in lines outward from the trunk of the tree, allowing you an 'X-ray view of the dead portion of the root system.
If they are growing out of the base of a tree, it may indicate a site of decay of the root flair below ground. OR it might be a terrestrial mushroom (one that prefers to grow out of the soil) that just happens to have grown there.
If your fungus infestation is progressive, the crops of mushrooms will become larger over time. Mushrooms are simply the fruiting body of something deeper. Mushrooms arise from a body of mycelium which is the real decomposer of the wood. Its generally invisible to us, working is way through the dead wood, and occasionally spring ing up what we know as a mushroom from itself. That's why I differentiate the terms fungus and mushroom. Even though the mushroom is fungus, the mycelium is not a mushroom, though it is funge, and gives rise to mushrooms when it wants to propagate and disseminate itself through spores.
Almost all of the mushrooms you see growing on, or out of a tree, you'll notice originate from an old wound site, a cavity or a natural break in the bark (i.e. vertical stress crack, or a split).
If you see them on the ground below a tree, often it's off of dead, subsurface wood, like a dead root. On lightning-struck trees you can see mushrooms (after a day or two of rain) growing in lines outward from the trunk of the tree, allowing you an 'X-ray view of the dead portion of the root system.
If they are growing out of the base of a tree, it may indicate a site of decay of the root flair below ground. OR it might be a terrestrial mushroom (one that prefers to grow out of the soil) that just happens to have grown there.
If your fungus infestation is progressive, the crops of mushrooms will become larger over time. Mushrooms are simply the fruiting body of something deeper. Mushrooms arise from a body of mycelium which is the real decomposer of the wood. Its generally invisible to us, working is way through the dead wood, and occasionally spring ing up what we know as a mushroom from itself. That's why I differentiate the terms fungus and mushroom. Even though the mushroom is fungus, the mycelium is not a mushroom, though it is funge, and gives rise to mushrooms when it wants to propagate and disseminate itself through spores.
Tree Machine
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And finally....
So, to answer your question, should you be worried...? Probably not. Of there were evidence of a wound in the trunk, then yes. This would be progressive degenerative and the tree is basically hosed. Trees can compartmentalize over reasonably sized wounds, as long as the fungus doesn't establish itself on the (technically dead) sapwood.
This is why when we prune, we try not to take off large, live limbs. There are billions of fungal spores floating around in the air just looking for a place to land. A fresh cut in the trunk of a tree is perfect, as far as a spore is concerned. I think of taking off those large, lower limbs as giving a tree a long, slow death sentence.
If the wound can compartmentalize (i.e. close over) AND fungus has established itself, once encased, the site becomes anoxic (without oxygen). Once there's no air, the mycelium will die and will become entombed, visible only when the tree's cut down and a cross section of the old wound site exposed.
Whenever you remove a limb, ask yourself, Will this site compartmentalize? If no, you are compromising the tree and shortening its natural life. Its a fungus' job in nature to seek out dead wood and break it back down to soil. The fungus will find the wound. It always does. -TM-
So, to answer your question, should you be worried...? Probably not. Of there were evidence of a wound in the trunk, then yes. This would be progressive degenerative and the tree is basically hosed. Trees can compartmentalize over reasonably sized wounds, as long as the fungus doesn't establish itself on the (technically dead) sapwood.
This is why when we prune, we try not to take off large, live limbs. There are billions of fungal spores floating around in the air just looking for a place to land. A fresh cut in the trunk of a tree is perfect, as far as a spore is concerned. I think of taking off those large, lower limbs as giving a tree a long, slow death sentence.
If the wound can compartmentalize (i.e. close over) AND fungus has established itself, once encased, the site becomes anoxic (without oxygen). Once there's no air, the mycelium will die and will become entombed, visible only when the tree's cut down and a cross section of the old wound site exposed.
Whenever you remove a limb, ask yourself, Will this site compartmentalize? If no, you are compromising the tree and shortening its natural life. Its a fungus' job in nature to seek out dead wood and break it back down to soil. The fungus will find the wound. It always does. -TM-
Guy Meilleur
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Re: Mo mushrooms
The lack of flare combined w shrooms makes for a bad scenario
Yes!! Examine that root collar NOW--you've got to find the flare; you may trace the fungus down to it in the process.
The lack of flare combined w shrooms makes for a bad scenario
Kneejerk Bombas
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Very informative TM. Sometimes you amaze me, then there are other times...
Paul could gently dig down to find what the mushroom is growing out of, right?
The crown of the tree might show signs of root problems too, lack of vigor, dying tips, short growth increments.
I bet an air spade would be helpful.
Paul could gently dig down to find what the mushroom is growing out of, right?
The crown of the tree might show signs of root problems too, lack of vigor, dying tips, short growth increments.
I bet an air spade would be helpful.
Kneejerk Bombas
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The moss is pretty common up here, any time you have full shade and slightly acid to very acid pH.
Gypo Logger
Timber Baron
Hi Paul, according to my reference your shrooms look like Mycorrhizal Fungus. Microscopic threadlike filaments called hyphae connect with a tree root to form a mycorrhiza - a relationship that benefits both partners as TM indicated.
The fungal partner provides essential minerals and water for the tree. In turn the tree provides carbohydrates, allowing the fungus to grow and sometimes reproduce.
John
Bibliography: The Knopf Mushroom Book
Published 1996
The fungal partner provides essential minerals and water for the tree. In turn the tree provides carbohydrates, allowing the fungus to grow and sometimes reproduce.
John
Bibliography: The Knopf Mushroom Book
Published 1996
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John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
Also Jimmy is is BC which is part of the PNW's high rain area.
That close to the base i would be concerned enough to send samples into a lab for ID. If it is root rot or basal decay, there may not be much more that can be done but monitor the tree for increaced risk of failure.
With a mycorrhizea you should see a more evenly, and wider distribution of fruiting bodies.
I too would like to see basal excavation in these situations
I appreciate the input guys. I forwarded the pictures to 2 of the city arborists, the tree is a street tree under the care of the parks board. Next time I get nearby I will try to get a cap to do a spore print. There is an irrigation system installed but, there is no lawn surviving in the areas near the tree probably due to shade, so I don't think the irrigation system is used.
treeman45246
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I agree with Guy. Get the root collar checked out before anyone climbs this tree. The lack of a root flare would concern me as much as the mushrooms. As said before, great info TM! The solid information freely given here make this site worth checking daily - even for those of us who seldom contribute.
worried?
Yes, the tree is in trouble from what I see in the third pic. One is growing out the side of the tree. The gardener was nice enough to mulch or stone right up to the tree trunk and deep enough to cover the root flare. If you gently rake the stones back away from the trunk a foot or two, 6"-8" deep you'll see more trouble. My guess is the base of the tree is in trouble at this point. Too much moisture up against the trunk at the base. It's a slow process till it rots the base of the tree and roots enough for the tree to fall over in a wind storm. It's a warning sign, the fungi grows in dead wood. With a little care the tree will stand a long time but you know it has a problem at the base, how bad it is wil take so more investigation. Nice pics.
Yes, the tree is in trouble from what I see in the third pic. One is growing out the side of the tree. The gardener was nice enough to mulch or stone right up to the tree trunk and deep enough to cover the root flare. If you gently rake the stones back away from the trunk a foot or two, 6"-8" deep you'll see more trouble. My guess is the base of the tree is in trouble at this point. Too much moisture up against the trunk at the base. It's a slow process till it rots the base of the tree and roots enough for the tree to fall over in a wind storm. It's a warning sign, the fungi grows in dead wood. With a little care the tree will stand a long time but you know it has a problem at the base, how bad it is wil take so more investigation. Nice pics.
Kneejerk Bombas
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I've seen a tree or two like this and it turned out that there was originally a ring of bark mulch, then covered with fabric and stone. The bark mulch was the source of the mushrooms and they surfaced near the the tree because that's the only place they could get past the fabric.
Tree Machine
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Roger that. Moss grows only where there is sufficient moisture and is a clue to the tree's trunk being too dang wet.
I looked even more closely again at the mushrooms of the orginal pics. I see them close to, but I can't say on the trunk.
As Mike Maas said, you could dig down to see where the mushroom originates. JP followed with a suggestion for basal excavation. I support both those statements. This sort of thing is precisely why you never, ever mulch up the base of a tree.
Now these muchrooms might be fruiting off of buried mulch, or wood particles. It's even possible that they could be fruiting off of the bark under the ground, but have not permeated the cambium and gotten going in the sapwood.
Either way, gently pull the soil back from the base, clean the flair w/ compressed air, or just water, and inspect. If you see abscessed sites, scrub em out as clean as you can. If the mycelium has taken hold, but it's more topical, just the drying out can arrest its growth. If callus (wound tisssue) can close back over, bingo. If the tree's healthy and the fungus hasn't gone deep, this can happen. If the tree is weakened by other causes (lightning strike, old age, pests, disease, drought, overwatering, etc, etc) and is in decline, then recovery is less likely.
Also recommend to remove some of that moss a foot or two up the trunk, as it holds water.
In the upcoming attached photo, if any of you see any of these mushrooms, collect as many as you can, and FedEx them to me for analysis. -TM-
Tree Machine
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Yes, yes, send these to me at once
Here's a closer look at those mushrooms in need of analysis.....
Here's a closer look at those mushrooms in need of analysis.....
Tree Machine
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Send them in bushel basket quantities
They don't necessarily have to be black.... -TM-
They don't necessarily have to be black.... -TM-
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
Look closely for them around U. americana.
Is trillium a good timing indicator for morels?
Is trillium a good timing indicator for morels?
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