Fungi on Oak

[Jaarkeal]

Can I have some help please with identifying this fungus on the front on this large Oak please. It runs for quite a way up the tree but the biggest group is around the 'ring'. Could it be dangerous for the tree ?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[David Humphries]

Hard to the certain, but i would imagine they are the desiccating fruitbodies of Bjerkandera adusta which is a saprophytic fungi.

 

These types of fungi interact with dead wood volumes which in the case of your oak may be the strip directly associated between the large wound above it and what may be a dysfunctional root and buttress below.

 

 

 

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[Jaarkeal]

Thank you for that. It is a very large tree with a history of branch drop. I know it's hard to say but in terms of tree health is it really detrimental ? Best to just keep a watchful eye on it?

[David Humphries]

If the rest of the tree and it's connected parts (canopy, branches, trunk, buttresses & roots) are vascularly intact and healthy, then I would imagine that a tree like this one will not see a saprophytic fungal species advancing beyond the dysfunctional part of the tree that it's associated with.

 

Out of interest, do you know if the historic branch failures were due to weak attachment and a specific wind load event or from a known decay pathogen?

 

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I agree with David on this Ident, B. adusta/fumosa

 

it wont effect much more than the dysfunctional sapwood below the wound.

[Jaarkeal]

Branch failure looks more likely from a wind event/weak structure. Its a big tree with lots of end weight on the branches.