Q: I have had a lot of erosion in my back yard so there are a lot of exposed roots. I’ve seen a couple of them that have this hard, white crust on them, sort of like a rubber coating. I’m assuming it’s a fungus of some sort, but do I need to do anything about it?

A: The crust is probably a soil fungus. If the root is dead, it is a saprophytic fungus that’s feeding on the root. If the root is live it is a symbiotic fungus, helping gather nutrients to aid the tree. I doubt it is serious. Keep your trees healthy and they will live in harmony with their fungal friends.

Fungus on tree root