Total Failure Prunus

[AJStrees]

This prunus is flowering nicely, but over the weekend it collapsed. 

 

Looking inside, it is very evident that there is fungi through the heartwood and the tree has failed due to this. 

 

Here are some photos. Haven't yet ID'ed the fungi but am guessing it is a common heartwood rotting fungi. 

 

 

[Stubby]

Yep . That has failed all right ! 

[Khriss]

"Street Trees I have known" chapter 12 in my memoire , be in Waterstones soon, K  

Edited April 25, 2019 by Khriss
@Gary features in Chapter 17....... ;)

[AJStrees]

7 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Yep . That has failed all right ! 

Indeed it has. I was trimming some of the holly off of it a few weeks back. I am wondering if the holly was in fact helping to hold the tree up. There were no obviously visible signs of decay looking at the tree before it failed. 

[Stubby]

1 minute ago, AJStrees said:

Indeed it has. I was trimming some of the holly off of it a few weeks back. I am wondering if the holly was in fact helping to hold the tree up. There were no obviously visible signs of decay looking at the tree before it failed. 

Yea , could be . I have seen ivy holding up dead Elms .

[AJStrees]

can anyone id what the fungi is?

[Gary Prentice]

Only as far as that it's a saprophytic one, as it's only colonising the dead heartwood.

[AJStrees]

On 26/04/2019 at 13:03, Gary Prentice said:

Only as far as that it's a saprophytic one, as it's only colonising the dead heartwood.

Thanks Gary. I only just saw this for some reason. Yes Sapro, thanks for that. 

[AJStrees]

In addition to the sponge heartwood, when felling, it became obvious that there were a number of small brackets about 8-10cm on some of the branches. Here are some shots. Potentially fairly regular bracket though probably old as they have desiccated. 

[Adam M]

Daedaleopsis confragosa / blushing bracket