Fomitiporia punctata on lovely old Ash tree in a show garden

[twobob]

Found this brown/grey velvety stuff which I think is Fomitiporia punctata on an Ash that is the largest feature in a domestic garden on the south coast that is opened annually to the public. The tree has been pollarded numerous times over the past decades so has a fat trunk and relatively small crown, I'm just curious if anyone knows how quickly Fomitiporia punctata can seriously undermine the stuctural integrity of the host, is it something that would be prolonged by something like re-pollarding or crown reduction to reduce the risk of limb failure or is it gonna cark it pronto?

 

Any advice gratefully appreciated

[MATTMOSS]

Some pictures may give a better understanding to viewers, but still only limited opinions can be given without further investigation.

Just trying to be helpful.

[twobob]

I have taken photos but for one reason or another can't post them. I'm really just after general information about this particular fungi and peoples experiences of it as opposed to a plan for this particular tree. If it is what I think it is, it was first sighted in Britain in 2008 so there is relatively little written about it.

[sloth]

If you suspect you have punctatus I'd get plenty of photos and a sample confirmed. It is pretty new to the UK, and I'd imagine any records will assist in working out its prevelance, distribution, decay and host preference etc.

I hear it is bad news on London plane, so I'd imagine the less durable wood of ash would be quite vulnerable to it. Depending on targets etc it may be worth seeing how a re-pollard fairs...

[David Humphries]

If you suspect you have punctatus I'd get plenty of photos and a sample confirmed. It is pretty new to the UK, and I'd imagine any records will assist in working out its prevelance, distribution, decay and host preference etc.

I hear it is bad news on London plane, so I'd imagine the less durable wood of ash would be quite vulnerable to it. Depending on targets etc it may be worth seeing how a re-pollard fairs...

 

First reported in the UK in 1986 on hazel in Berwickshire, with the first one associated with London plane being noted from 2008 in West Sussex.

 

 

The only thing I have read on the significance of F. punctata (specifically on plane, and only one paragraph) is from this FR note.........

 

Forest Research Pathology Advisory Note (No.7).

 

"P. punctatus can cause cankers on the bark, but as these are pale buff, flat sometimes with perennating rays, they are extremely difficult to see on the mottled bark of plane trees. The fruit bodies merge into the bark but the presence of a narrow to broad black zone at the top of the fruit-body is diagnostic. It initially causes a rapidly spreading canker before developing an intense white rot involving both sapwood and heartwood. Affected trees have frequently suffered from stem failure"

 

 

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[sloth]

There was me thinking 08 was the first sighting on anything ah well. I'm only on me phone at the min, what records are on the frdbi?

[David Humphries]

There was me thinking 08 was the first sighting on anything ah well. I'm only on me phone at the min, what records are on the frdbi?

 

58 I believe, though that doesn't include the one on the plane from west sussex in 2008 or the one I noted on London plane in Bury St Edmunds earlier this year.

 

 

 

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[sloth]

Ta muchly

[twobob]

Thank you Mr Humphries, much appreciated.