Found a dying oak in a client's backyard in Portland last week

Was removing a dead limb and spotted a small patch of Laetiporus shelf fungus near the base. Has anyone else seen this fungus spread through a mature tree faster than expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix_hayes645d ago

I saw the same thing happen with a big maple in my neighbor's yard back in 2019. That Laetiporus showed up one summer and within two years the whole tree was basically hollow. It's like once that fungus gets a foothold it just takes off way faster than you'd expect, especially in older trees. Reminds me of how a small crack in a windshield can spread across the whole thing overnight if the weather changes. Nature doesn't mess around once it decides its time for something to go.

uma_martinez5d ago

Ngl I kinda see it the other way. Laetiporus usually just takes advantage of wood that's already compromised, I don't think it's the main driver of the tree falling apart.