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Identifying aggressive tree fungus and recommended treatment?

5 years ago

Hello friends,

Newbie to the forum, here.

My wife and I just moved into a new home in Urbana in north central Illinois and have a tree in our backyard that seems to be stricken with a very aggressive fungus. Entire tree limbs, after losing all their leaves became very brittle and snapped off easily, sap is oozing out all over the trunk and branches, and squishy mushroom-like pieces have emerged everywhere.

Any help identifying the fungus and possible treatment? (pictures below)

Thank you!!!!

andy

Featured Answer

Embothrium

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Yes: the next step is removal of the already half-gone tree. Followed by use of the space for something else.

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Comments (8)

Huggorm
5 years ago
Could be "chicken of the woods" or something similar. There are no treatment for it and it is not killing the tree. It just grows on a tree that is dying for other reasons.
Andy Kim thanked Huggorm
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NHBabs z4b-5a NH
5 years ago
It appears to be some kind of cherry which can be short lived compared to other kinds of trees like oaks. As previously said, this one is due for removal since the fungus is growing on already dead wood, not killing the tree. You can see where other large limbs have been removed with no sign of healing taking place, so your tree is a goner and safer to have it taken down now that wait for pieces or the whole thing to fall.
Andy Kim thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
agree ... and after you cut it down.. dont be surprised if you have mushrooms in the lawn for 10 years ... as the roots rot ....

ken
Andy Kim thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Andy Kim
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you all! Really appreciated it...
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
5 years ago
Andy, I hope that you understand with certainty that your tree is a goner. Don't replace with a related tree.
Andy Kim thanked rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
Andy Kim
Original Author
5 years ago
@rhizo_1 thanks for the clarity... is the reason not to replace with the related tree is the potential for the same disease to infect?
Embothrium
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Huggorm thinks the fungus is there because the tree was already on the way out. And not the initial cause of the damage.

As far as can be made out using these pictures it seems the tree is probably a pie cherry (Prunus cerasus). Something happened to kill half of it and that is why the fungus got into it. The way the dead part is all on one side it's as though it was weather related. As in frost cracking or summer sun burn.

If you want to find out for sure what you are dealing with try your nearest branch office of the USDA Cooperative Extension Service. They will need good representative samples of affected parts and you will have to be able to get there on a weekday.

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