Question
oak tree growth
there is a weird growth at the base of an oak tree. it is white, slimy, and dripping condensation.
AnswerThis is the fruiting body ("flower" ) of a decay fungi. The fungi is living on the woody cells of the tree inside the trunk. It entered from a wound on the bark years ago and slowly is decaying the wood. It will NOT really effect the health of the tree, The living part of the tree is the cells just under the bark called the cambium layer. Decay fungi do not harm the living cells. Decay fungi are very slow growing and could in many year make the tree hollow but as long as the tree is healthy it will live with the hollow. I would recommend that the tree be fertilized every other year with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good, Apply just before a rain storm and you will not need to water.
The fruiting body (mushroom, Conk) will dry up but if you want to you can just pull it off. Either way it will not matter. I would not worry about the tree.
