Mystery fungus - Ask Extension
This fungus appeared on our maple tree this Fall. We hope you can identify it and let us know if we are going to lose our tree. (I hope to be able to ...
Knowledgebase
Mystery fungus #815887
Asked November 04, 2022, 3:27 PM EDT
This fungus appeared on our maple tree this Fall. We hope you can identify it and let us know if we are going to lose our tree. (I hope to be able to download the photos.)
Marion County Ohio
Expert Response
That is a very pretty mushroom, but I have been unable to identify what it is. It is not typical of other mushrooms associated with maple trees. I would be concerned, though, that the mushroom may be a symptom of heartwood rot. Fungi can enter the tree through wounded areas and over time, attack the heartwood. If your tree does have rot, then it is at much greater risk of breaking and falling. It would be worth having an arborist check it out to determine if the tree is still sound or if it should be cut down for safety reasons. The links below describe heart rot as well as providing information on more typical fungal infections. Your fungus is not among those described. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance in identifying the fungus.
https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/buffalo/Heart%20Rot%20in%20Trees%20November%2015%202014.pdf
https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/deciduous/maple/branchesfungi.html
https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/buffalo/Heart%20Rot%20in%20Trees%20November%2015%202014.pdf
https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/deciduous/maple/branchesfungi.html
Thank you so much for your quick response. Hopefully I'll be able to locate an arborist in our area and keep my fingers crossed that we don't lose the tree. (The neighborhood squirrels will be hoping the same, I'm sure!)
Carol Feaver
Good luck with your tree!!