Oak Tree - Ask Extension
Mushroom growth at base of very tall oak tree. Should we be concerned about the health of the tree!
Knowledgebase
Oak Tree #886873
Asked October 01, 2024, 2:19 PM EDT
Mushroom growth at base of very tall oak tree. Should we be concerned about the health of the tree!
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
These look like Jack-o-Lantern fungi, which unfortunately is a type of active wood decay. You might want to have the tree evaluated by a certified arborist, and it may need to be removed before it becomes a fall hazard, depending on what is nearby. (If falling would not damage anything and won't pose a risk to people, there is no need to remove the tree, as many wild animals benefit from dead/dying trees.)
The fungus entered the tree long before the mushrooms appeared (and similarly, tree decline can begin quite a while before symptoms manifest), and there is no way to cure the condition. Interestingly, these mushrooms glow in the dark, though you'd have to be sitting in a fairly dark room for long enough to adjust your eyes to be able to see their faint glow from the gills.
Miri
The fungus entered the tree long before the mushrooms appeared (and similarly, tree decline can begin quite a while before symptoms manifest), and there is no way to cure the condition. Interestingly, these mushrooms glow in the dark, though you'd have to be sitting in a fairly dark room for long enough to adjust your eyes to be able to see their faint glow from the gills.
Miri