Do you have mushrooms on your trees? If you do, your tree could be rotting from the inside out. Wood rotting fungi decompose wood and weaken trees.

Fungal rot can result in serious root and trunk decay in trees. Decay caused by fungi weakens wood and makes trees structurally unsound. Trees weakened by wood decay is a common cause of tree failure. Failure can include losing single limbs or trees falling. This can happen in both normal and extreme weather.

Decay in trees may go unnoticed for many years. At some point, fruiting structures of fungal disease will appear. These fungal structures vary in size, color and texture. Fungal wood rotting fruiting bodies can have a common mushroom shape while others are shelf-like and hang like brackets from trees.

Since these fruiting bodies do not appear until years after the onset of the disease, the appearance of mushrooms or conks on or near trees should always be reason to have the tree inspected promptly. Call an arborist immediately if you find mushrooms growing on your tree. Trees should be considered home infrastructure no differently than the roof on your house or the air conditioner. Trees near homes should be inspected periodically by a professional.