Question
QUESTION: I have a mature maple (approximately 40 to 50 years old). It has a very dark red (almost wine coloured) foliage during the growing season. It is easily 40 feet tall.
I found some sort of fungus at the base of the trunk. The fungus was also spreading to the mulch and ground cover around the tree. It was light beige in colour and was dry on the surface. It was somewhat rounded in shape. It had also formed around a twig, encircling it completely. The fungus had several holes in it that were oozing a reddish liquid. I removed as much as I could and took out any mulch that appeared to be affected by the fungus.
Do you have any suggestions as to what this might be and how it should be treated?
If it helps, I live in Canada, near the Great Lakes. We are in a zone five growing area.
Thank you.


ANSWER: Alison:
This may be some type of root/trunk decay fungus. Can you send a photo of this fungus? There are very many of these things and it is difficult to describe.  Be sure to review your image on your computer first--to be sure it is in focus before sending.  I'll have a look.  Did it seem to be attached to the tree? Is the tree showing any signs of declining (ie. thinning branches etc)?

Regards
Steve

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


fungus .   QUESTION: Hi Steve
I've attached a photo of some of the fungus. It is definitely powdery on the surface. Underneath the "powder" it is quite "sooty." It leaves a dark residue on my hands similar to the sort of thing that some mushrooms do. The bark underneath this substance was wet and seemed to be rotting.
The tree has had a long split in the bark of the trunk (about 2 feet long and starting 2 or 3 feet from the ground) since we moved in 4 years ago. The split weeps sap, but otherwise the tree appears healthy. It leafs out reasonably early in the spring, and keeps its leaves late into October. The leaves have no spots on them.
Thanks for your help. I hope the photo and the additional details all useful.
Alison

Answer
Alison:

This may be a type of slime mold that you are looking at. Crusty on top and "sooty" below this crusty covering. Looks like brown powder beneath.  Check out the website below.  It is a bulletin I prepared on the subject. It is a pdf file. You can also "Google" Images of Slime Molds.  Lots of different types. Yours may be a type of Fuligo. These are not plant disease organisms as you will read in the bulletin.

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-7537.pdf

The split in your maple is not related to the slime mold. The split may represent some level of decay going on inside the tree, probably for some time now. Difficult to tell how extensive the decay is inside. The weeping thing could be a bacterial condition called "Slime Flux" or bacterial wetwood.  The liquid ooze sometimes attracts insects and smells like fermentation- sometimes "bubbly".  See this subject in the bulletin below.

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-7552.pdf

Nothing to do for this "weeping". For a tree this age, best to keep it watered during hot and dry stressful conditions. Watering and fertilization and avoiding bark damages by lawnmowers and string trimmers can prolong the tree life.  Watch the tree every spring to see how well the branches fill out with leaves.  If you start to see lots of dying branches developing, it may be time to start considering firewood, especially if the tree could fail and cause damage to person and/or property.

Hope this helps.

Steve