Potential Beech Bark Disease

[Ricardo]

Hi All, Im after a little help trying to ID what has happened to this Mature Beech.

 

The blackening almost looks like the tree has been set on fire and is sooty to touch. and extends from the very top of the crown all the way to ground level. there is some other creamy/purple colouring of the bark (maybe where the bark is dying off??)

 

The crown was Cholortic last year and now it looks as though half of the crown has died back (lack of twigs and buds etc)

 

Any thoughts or suggestions is welcomed..

 

Cheers

 

Ricardo..

[Daniël Bos]

Lightning strike?

[David Humphries]

The pink sections look like Peniophora quercina

 

If it is then they would be saprophytic on dead bark

 

Perhaps Meripilus giganteus (or other) has killed the roots, thus the tree has shut down that side.

 

 

 

.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I suspect the black is the mature phase and the lilac is the imature stage of Hypoxylon mummularium

[Ricardo]

Thank you gents, I'll look into your suggestions...thanks for the help..

 

Ricardo

[daltontrees]

It does look a lot like Hypoxolon nummularium, early days.

[Ricardo]

It does look a lot like Hypoxolon nummularium, early days.

 

Hi All, thought I'd give you an up date on the situation.. After taking another look and doing a bit of research it certainly looks like Hypoxolon nummularium.

 

The tree is going to be monolithed as it can't be left as it is target etc, it's gonna be an interesting one to do as there's a badger sett in the 'drop zone' and cavities an a few other old woodpecker holes that have bat potential so am meeting the ecologist on site next week.

 

Thanks for the help on this one it's certainly not some thing I see everyday.

 

Ricardo