Is it doing any harm

[NellyDee]

I think this is Hypholoma fasciculare (correct me if I am wrong) It is between two of the large roots of a very large old beech tree, hanging on to the slope down to the burn. What concerns me, is this fungi the start of killing the tree? The tree looks very healthy and there is no sign or rot apart from this inverted V shape between it’s main holding on roots. This is one of my favourite trees and I would hate to lose it.

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[adampembs]

It usually only grows on dead wood, so it has gotten into a dead part of the tree. It’s a saprobe (one that feeds on rotting wood) and on it’s own shouldn’t kill the tree. In any case, there’s nothing you can do about it. Most likely, something else is killing the tree, or its just very old.

[Chris Yeates]

NellyDee wrote:

. . . . is this fungi the start of killing the tree? . . . .

I think you mean “this fungus” ND . I’ll forgive both of you for inaccurately putting an apostrophe in the genitive pronoun “its” (we’re not talking publications here).

Right, pedantry out of the system; I agree with Adam – the fungus is attacking the heartwood of the tree and is not an active threat to the tree. It is fungi such as Dutch elm disease – attacking the vital areas beneath the bark – which pose the real threats.

Trees like this https://bespokegreenoak.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/silton-oak-2.jpg” class=”bbcode_url”>https://bespokegreenoak.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/silton-oak-2.jpg can be perfectly healthy. I have heard it said that in the great storm of 1987 many of the trees which were still standing after it had passed were the hollow ones, these having a better strength to weight ratio.

best wishes

Chris

[adampembs]

Chris Yeates wrote:

have heard it said that in the great storm of 1987 many of the trees which were still standing after it had passed were the hollow ones, these having a better strength to weight ratio.

best wishes

Chris

I’ve also read somewhere that a tree with healthy mycelia surrounding its roots will have a better chance of surviving storms, as it increases the effective underground spread of the root system. You’d think this would help trees like oaks outcompete the likes of sycamores and ashes.

[NellyDee]

Relief, thank you. I was interested in the comment re mycelium. The areas that have the most fungi and variety of is beneath the very old trees. there were a couple of major gales last year when seven trees came down, the old fellows stood firm the exception was a lovely old sycamore, the rest were firs and birch.

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