Spruce fungus

sperho · Aug 27, 2006

I have what looks like a Colorado or Norway Spruce tree with a fungi-looking growth on the branches. I don't know if this surface growth is what is causing it or not, but the tree looks to be dying. Any ideas of what this is and how to treat it would be much appreciated. I'd really like to save this tree if at all possible. Thanks.

Ekka · Aug 28, 2006

That's lichen, so shouldn't be the problem.

Hows soil moisture? also, any root disturbance lately or water table change by someone digging or raising nearby?

Take some wider pics of the surrounding area and the base of the tree.

Also, an overall of the tree.

Look for dripping sap or browning foliage, have a close look for borer holes.

Over here it would most likely by root rot or drought symptoms.

Rootrot is containable but never can be exterminated, becomes a long term management issue.

arboralliance · Aug 28, 2006

C'mon Ekka...

Are'nt you gonna explain to the poor bloke what Lichen is and why and how it exists within nature and what it menas for a tree? Incremental growth looks good to ok for the last several years from the pics but a close up of the last couple of years would be good, lots of grass under the tree and what looks like a vine possibly ivy (Hedera helix) off to the side there and those finger like things growing on the tree in the bottom pic look healthy but alien? :monkey:

Lichen to me means the tree (or the limb/s it is on) has reached maturity and has slowed growing (so the Lichen attaches as it cant be shed by the expanding trunk or limb anymore but has relatively little to no effect on the tree in most cases) which seems apparent within the growth pattern of the pics and the distance those tips seem to be from the trunk from what i can see those lower branches are possibly wanting to be shed by the tree as it aims high as the dead wood seems normal and standard for a Picea, Cedrus or Abies (jeez I miss the cold /temperate climate trees of Southern Australia bloody European weeds!) :blob2:

Possible compaction or hardening off of the soil naturally from settlement or a severe winter yet the tip ends are fine n healthy unless thats a secondary growth spurt, damn where's Dendro when you need him, probably off doing a "Lord of The Rings" impersonation no doubt...

(What does the upper canopy of the tree look like? A close up of the last 12-18 inches of the branch ends would be a winner also...) :clap:

Ekka · Aug 28, 2006

You know how you look inside one of those trees and it looks all dead?

Maybe that's putting the idea it's dying.

I can proudly say I have never ever cut one of them trees, miss a lot of trees here and always cutting the same ole junk, lets see, ficus, umbrella, fiddlewood, african tulip, chinese elm, gums and palms till the cows come home etc.

Anyone know where in Brisbane a nice oak is I can have a look at? (and not a silky oak either)

arboralliance · Aug 28, 2006

Quercus...

Toowoomba, Mt Tamborine but not sure of any in Brisbane suburbs...

I would have thought Quercus ilex would have been popular up here in the tropics, that or Quercus aviabilis or Q.pannosa being evergreens...

Will keep an eye out Ekka...

treeseer · Aug 28, 2006

arboralliance said:
Toowoomba, Mt Tamborine but not sure of any in Brisbane suburbs... .

"Hey, Mountain Tamborine Man, show your oaks to me.
I'm not sleepy, and there are none growing where I live. Hey, Mountain Tamborine Man, show your oaks to me. If they're sickly, there is some help I want to give..."

Hey, Dendro as Gandalf, Codit as Bilbo Baggins, Aragorn as Arbor Cop, I like the concept. They run into Electra in the deep woods of Tamborine, where she straps Codit in and takes him for a swing, Whoo-hah! Nah, better keep it urban--Jarrah, whatcha got?

sperho, your trees are losing interior foliage due to some stressor. See the link below for Mulching info etc.

Ekka · Aug 28, 2006

treeseer} your trees are losing interior foliage due to some stressor.[/QUOTE said:
What about lack of light inside that mess?

treeseer · Aug 28, 2006

Ekka said:
What about lack of light inside that mess?

That is a stressor, but I think moisture loss/erosion may be worse. sperho did you ever see a tree in the woods with ground conditions like yours? us enature as your model and you will be on the way to arboriculture.

arboralliance · Aug 28, 2006

Darn it...

"Hey, Mountain Tamborine Man, show your oaks to me.
I'm not sleepy, and there are none growing where I live. Hey, Mountain Tamborine Man, show your oaks to me. If they're sickly, there is some help I want to give..."

Rolling around on the floor with that one Guy... :clap:

I figure Dendro-(chronology) is best described as "Lord Of The Rings" yes?

Surely its quite normal for the woody stems to stop producing foliage when a big crown, tightly stacked laterals or forest/copse prevents light from keeping the interior live and transpirational similar to Cupressus hedges let go cant then trim back woody stems to produce foliar budding... May be a case of thinning out is needed (dare I say it in the presence of we few anti cut theorists...)

Give the tree light!! (But too late for the woody stems now...)

Maybe we should get some currency on the table for the right call...

Peace out all...

Kneejerk Bombas · Aug 28, 2006

Looks like spruce trees up here in WI when they become infected with rhizosphaera.

arboralliance · Aug 28, 2006

Where is that legend...

buff where are you man when we need the tough ones answered...?

sperho · Aug 28, 2006

I'll post some more pictures tonight - thanks for the replies so far.

sperho · Aug 30, 2006

I've been slow at getting these, but here are some more pictures. The top picture illustrates why I don't want to lose this tree. I shot it from a line of sight from my front porch and this tree makes a nice partial screen.

Hopefully this one gives you a good idea of the upper canopy:

A good example of the last 12-18" of branches:

More branch tips:

Contextual shot:

sperho · Aug 30, 2006

treeseer said:
sperho did you ever see a tree in the woods with ground conditions like yours?

I can't say that I've every seen (paid attention to) a spruce like this in the woods. I do have a grove of white pines that were planted so densely that all the interior trees are dead due to light starvation. The ground cover has little to no green growing in it except for the edges where the ground receives more light.

sperho · Aug 30, 2006

treeseer said:
sperho, your trees are losing interior foliage due to some stressor. See the link below for Mulching info etc.

I'll take this hint and spread mulch under the tree as per the ISA guide. Anything other diagnoses from the new pictures?

arboralliance · Aug 30, 2006

Going with the flow...

Mike Maas said:
Looks like spruce trees up here in WI when they become infected with rhizosphaera.

Mike mass is right here IMHO I would be looking at treating the tree accordingly or looking at companion planting to assist in preventing further infection...

Also look at what initiated this infection...

Mulch for sure but realistically around the critical root zone inside and outside the drip line...

I dare to ask if anyone tries homeopathic remediation?

Your only option may be to replant but never give up hope (Wilson!)...

sperho · Aug 30, 2006

arboralliance said:
I would be looking at treating the tree accordingly or looking at companion planting to assist in preventing further infection...

Can you elaborate on a treatment?

Also look at what initiated this infection...

I have no idea what I was looking for, but I did crawl under the branches and had a look at the trunk. The bark seemed to be intact. However, about 12 ~1/2" holes with what looked like a little sap in them located in the first 12 inches from the ground. This was the only thing that I saw that looked suspicious to my ignorant eye. I didin't see any crawling things, nor did I see any sign of "sawdust". What are a few basic things that I should be looking for?

arboralliance · Aug 30, 2006

Planetery advice...

Being on the other side of this little planet I feel it might not be appropriate for me to make recommendations also considering I am into homeopathic remediation and bio-dynamics and that our products and services are of differing names and terminology I believe I am not the most suitable person to answer your concerns here HOWEVER if suitably qualified and experienced others feel that it might be appropriate for me to "have a go" I shall attempt thus...

Mike Maas was onto a good thing perhaps he could offer some pointers?

Considering the twin trunk co-dominance it is a tricky question...

Can you take a few pics of the twin trunk union?

Is that a Buxus topiary hedge along there looking like its being pruned to within inches of life and possibly at the wrong times therefore encouraging stressor pathogen to present among other problems with it alone?

How lush is that grass! Be interesting to know the regime of fertilisation and watering present and past there?

A shot of the street and or entire acre or so surrounding the tree would help a little...

sperho · Aug 30, 2006

arboralliance said:
Mike Maas was onto a good thing perhaps he could
offer some pointers?

Fire away, Mike!

Considering the twin trunk co-dominance it is a tricky question...

Can you take a few pics of the twin trunk union?

Yep. I'll try to before I vacate on Friday...

Is that a Buxus topiary hedge along there looking like its being pruned to within inches of life and possibly at the wrong times therefore encouraging stressor pathogen to present among other problems with it alone?

I have not a clue. Not only am I horrible at identifying shrubbery, I've never pruned these. I just moved into this place a month ago and much of my effort has been focussed on the house itself; I'm currently only in damage control mode in the yard (6 acres, a little over half wooded).

How lush is that grass! Be interesting to know the regime of fertilisation and watering present and past there?

Calling it grass is almost being too generous. There's a bunch of weeds in them there blades... Knowing what I know about the previous owners, they likely did very little to maintain their lawn besides mowing it. There is good moisture on the front part of my property because of run-off from a hill behind our house and in this particular area, the septic field beds are in the open part of the yard shown in this shot:

The field bed has been in this portion of the lawn for at least 2 or 3 decades, as has that spruce, judging from it's size.

A shot of the street and or entire acre or so surrounding the tree would help a little...

Will do.

arboralliance · Aug 31, 2006

Wonderment...

I suspected run off issues considering the roof line of the houses below i.e. the fall of the block is perceived only thus in limitation of a few photos...

In all or most of the consulting I do in areas where there are larger blocks such as yours, invariably septic run off is a contributing factor to the stress of flora...

Calling it grass is almost being too generous. There's a bunch of weeds in them there blades...

, I consider modern high maintenance lawn/turf to be a weed full stop (and I refer to nothing other on this planet in disregard as that of the "maintenance" of a living thing such as grass though I also despise the high maintenance of certain beasts) that was the intent in my comment of your grass, yes, if let grow as nature intended, grass and herbs as those "weeds" you point out can be known, can be useful to humans and fauna alike, however, maintained (or in your case "not") to within turf standards they are contributing to the subtle destruction of the "urban planet" we take for granted...

Keep the questions and photos coming, lets see if assistance will come from your neck of the woods...

Spruce fungus

Help Support Arborist Forum:

ArboristSite Operative

Addicted to ArboristSite

ArboristSite Operative

Addicted to ArboristSite

ArboristSite Operative

Advocatus Pro Arbora

Addicted to ArboristSite

Advocatus Pro Arbora

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite King

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

ArboristSite Operative

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!