Fungus on protected trees - are they sick?

[Berryboo21]

Hi all, thank you for taking the time to read my post (I am sorry it's quite long!).

We have found various fungi on a few of our trees that have tpo's and I wondering if anyone can help identify them please?

 

All of the trees are in our garden, close to other trees (also on TPOs) and in close proximity to our house or to a road.

The first pictures are of a bracket fungus on an English Oak. This seems to have changed colour over the last month or so.

 

 

 

 

It is the tree in the middle above the white car...

 

 

 

The next is a fungus found on a large Sweet Chestnut. The fungus is below the old tree house on the trunk; below the point where the tree splits into two.

 

 

 

Next we have found these on the pavement near some out buildings, behind two other English Oaks and the Sweet Chestnut (tree house) we think they may be on some roots but cannot be sure. They first appeared in August and have also changed colour over the last few months.

 

 

 

 

Finally at the other end of the garden (over 50m away) a Beech tree "sprouted" the yellow fungus last week. Photos are from last week and yesterday. The tree sides onto a road and again is close to other Beech, Oak and Ash trees, all with TPOs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would appreciate any ideas, comments and advice. Obviously I am worried about the health of the trees and hope that I shouldn't be panicking, I really would hate to lose any.

 

Is the best option to have a tree survey completed for all the trees in the garden? We have 28 trees on TPOs so any ideas about costings would be appreciated too.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Hello

 

Your examples appear to be Laetiporus sulphureus (chicken of the woods) Fistulina hepatica (beefsteak) one of the Ganoderma species, possibly Ganoderma applanatum and one of the Pholiota species' possibly Pholiota aurivella.

 

All these species have the ability to degrade wood to some degree, from being parasitic through to being saprophytic.

 

I would suggest a full site survey of your trees by an Arboriculturist to provide advice on your group of trees as a whole.

 

 

 

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Edited October 23, 2016 by David Humphries

[Berryboo21]

Thanks for you reply David - it's appreciated and I will get an arboriculturist to carry out a tree survey, especially as the beech is so close to a road and I want to make sure it is safe. A tree surgeon we had visit, when the bracket first appeared, has mentioned Ganoderma resinaceum and I was wondering if the first three were all types of Ganoderma so thank you for your guidance.

 

 

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[treefirm]

First 3 pics L. Sulphureus yes but what were you thinking on the Sweet chestnut and the paving David?

The union on the twin branch going towards the road may need a closer looking at

[David Humphries]

First 3 pics L. Sulphureus yes but what were you thinking on the Sweet chestnut and the paving David?

The union on the twin branch going towards the road may need a closer looking at

 

Fruiting bodies on Image 6 I believe to be Fistulina (possibly Confistulina hepatica) on the sweet chestnut.

 

Images 7-9 I believe to be from the Ganoderma complex.

Without flesh images I couldn't say for sure which of applanatum or australe it is.

 

 

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[Kveldssanger]

Certainly, image 6 is Fistulina hepatica (or, as David says, the anamorph Confistulina). On oak it is a largely benign fungus, though on sweet chestnut I don't know whether the decay is similarly benign or not, though I expect it is. At the very least, the rate of decay caused by the fungus is slow.

 

Important to stress a certified arboriculturalist is a far better option for carrying out a proper private tree survey, or at the very least a highly reputable arborist with a good working knowledge of common polypores and other wood-decay fungi.