Mushrooms can be found growing in lots of places. As you know, some mushrooms can even be eaten and enjoyed! However, if you see mushrooms growing at the base of your tree, is it a bad thing? While not all fungus is bad, one type of mushroom fungus you should look out for is honey fungi.
Honey fungi are mushrooms that are yellowy brown in color with a white ring around their stems. They grow in clusters and have a flat top. They can be found at the base of trees or growing around a tree’s roots. They even smell sweet.
Although they may look harmless, honey fungi can make a tree develop problems. These fungi can cause a tree’s leaves to be smaller and paler; it also can cause the tree to have an early leaf drop and change the growth of flowers and fruit. Usually, with honey fungi, you will also see a white fungus appear underneath the tree’s bark.
Honey fungi commonly grow around oak, birch, and fruit trees. It spreads underground. Over time, this type of fungus decays a tree’s roots and can even kill the roots. It eats away at the bark on the roots and base, which can make the tree unstable. Sadly, once this fungus has penetrated the roots, it can be hard to control.
How Can You Avoid Bad Fungi Growth?
Whether it’s honey fungi or another type of bad fungi, there are some things you can do to help prevent their growth.
- Don’t overwater your trees.
- Trim and remove dead and diseased branches fast.
Honey fungi cannot be treated with fungicide and picking all the fungus won’t get rid of the problem since the fungus grows and spreads underground.
If you see mushrooms growing at the base of your tree, your best bet is to call on a tree specialist to check on the health of your tree and make sure the fungi growing is harmless. If it is a bad fungus, you may risk losing the tree. You don’t want this fungus to spread to other trees in the yard. Also, there is a chance the tree can be saved, and the tree specialist can transplant the tree.
Don’t ignore fungi! The earlier you catch it, the better chance your tree has to survive!
Our team at Bushor’s Tree Surgeons can determine quickly if your tree is being affected by a fungus. We will know if the fungus is “good” or “bad.” If you’re worried about your tree, call us! Even if your tree isn’t showing signs of damage or distress, you want to make sure your tree isn’t suffering in silence.
Our team of arborists will help your tree and work hard to save it, if possible. If the tree is too far infected, we will remove the tree.
Hire a Tree Service in Jacksonville, FL
Don’t let your trees suffer! Our Bushor’s Tree Surgeons team will evaluate your potentially sick tree (or trees) and let you know how damaged they are and if they can be saved.
We have four certified arborists on our team who know how to care for trees in distress in Florida and the Jacksonville area. We can spot good and bad fungi easily.
We’ve been in the tree business for more than 50 years. We give our clients the highest quality tree care in the Jacksonville area. If you need a diagnosis of conditions for your trees, Bushor’s Tree Surgeons are at your service.
We are a tree service company based in Jacksonville, Florida, and service customers in Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine, Florida. We offer tree trimming, tree removal, stump removal, diagnosis of conditions, and tree disease treatment. Call us at 904-731-9100 or click our Jacksonville Tree Service contact page to learn more and set up an appointment with one of our certified arborists.