Potential parasite?

[milgate]

Hello everyone

Over the weekend I have been tidying the garden. We have a large tree (sorry, I don't know the type but pictures are below). I've noticed that at the base of the tree there seems to be a little bit of rot (the bark is soft and flaking), although most of if seems normal. In the same area, the tree seems to be growing such that there is a concave section at the base of the trunk. More worrying, there is some loose bark in another area of the base. Looking behind it I can see that there are "fibers" growing behind the bark which doesn't look right and I'm thinking that this may be some kind of plant-parasite impacting the tree.

 

I'm getting someone to come an look at it, but I'd just like some idea of what I may be dealing with. I realise that these could all be different issues but as I say above, for me the growth behind the bark is most worrying. I have included some photographs below:

 

The first photos show the tree and the branches (this may help to ID the tree), the next three show the base where there seems to be a bit of rot and the trunk is growing a little concave, and the final three show the area where the bark has come away and there seems to be something growing up the tree behind the bark.

 

Any opinions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[RobRainford]

Tree is most likely larch or cedar.

 

Was there soil mounded up against the base of the tree? Those fibres look like aerial roots to me.

[milgate]

Thank you for the quick reply. The soil was fairly moulded up base of the tree, although it wasn't too packed around the base (was fairly easy to loosen up the soil). What I would say is that soil has accumulated slightly higher up the trunk from the base than has historically been the case. Thanks again.

[Peter]

It's a Deodora, Latin name Cedrus deodora, and those look like adventitious roots to me too, possibly at the site of an old injury.

[Steve Bullman]

It's a Deodora, Latin name Cedrus deodora, and those look like adventitious roots to me too, possibly at the site of an old injury.

 

Spot on. Tree looks pretty healthy too as far as the pictures show

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

It's a Deodora, Latin name Cedrus deodora, and those look like adventitious roots to me too, possibly at the site of an old injury.

 

 

im with peter

[milgate]

Thanks again for all the replies which have set my mind at rest. I had an arborist come round today to look at some work we want done and he confirmed that the are roots at the site of an old injury. Also said the tree looks really healthy.

 

Thanks again for everybody's comments.