Hardy Tropicals UK

Hi there I am new to the forum! Was wondering if anyone could help me out...
I am a student of horticulture and came home for the weekend to find a white mycelial growth on one side of the trunk of my tree fern. I stupidly had it touching a dead stump of I think Beech Wood and it looks to have spread from the beech stump onto the trunk. Stump is now well away from fern, sitting on patio.

Does anyone recognise this fungus or have any experience with the same issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I have included pictures of the white growth on the trunk and also pictures of what I believe to be the fungus fruiting bodies on the dead wood stump.

Hi R Gates, how about telling us your name? As for your fungal growth I don't pretend to be an expert but I have grown plant for a living for a good part of my life, so I hope my comments are just common sense really. Here goes, whilst it looks pretty bad is the growth on the growing part of the plant or just on the dead/ outside of the trunk? Either way It would be better if you could get rid of it even if was not detrimental to the fern. I would go to a good nursery, how about the one you bought it from and take your pictures with you and ask them if they have a fungal killer suitable for the job. I'm sorry I cant add more but my gut feeling is if it is treated it will be fine, is the plant healthy otherwise or did it get hammered last winter, I don't see any green on it? But then what do I know.

Personally I'd be slow to reach for antifungals.

Most of them are quite toxic and it would be almost impossible to get it distributed through all of the 'dead' tissue that makes up most of the trunk.

It rather depends on which fungus it is.

I'm not good on fungal ID's, but I think that one is Stereum hirsutum.

If so, it lives on already dead wood [apart from Peach trees which it can kill apparently].

Were it my fern, I'd leave well alone and see what happens.

I would expect the fungus to take what it wants from the already dead leaf bases and not damage the live tissue.

Chad.

like the kid and Chad im no expert but taking Chads point about it only infecting dead wood I fear for your fern. Like the kid I would expect to see growth on the fern seeing the summer we had. Hower as Chad says you have nothing really to lose if you leave it till next spring and see if it springs(pun intended) in to life.

Are we all being a bit pessimistic?

The 'top' of the fern where the leaves should be isn't shown.

For a positive spin, how about;

'The fungus will live on the dead leaf bases and liberate nutrients for the live fern to use and grow with!'

Chad.

I may be wrong Chad but picture one(all be it on its side) appears to be the crown of the tree fern to me
Perhaps the originator RGATES could clarify

tatter wrote: ↑Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:15 pm I may be wrong Chad but picture one(all be it on its side) appears to be the crown of the tree fern to me
Perhaps the originator RGATES could clarify

Ditto, that's what I thought.

Hi everyone sorry for my delayed reply I got preoccupied with my college work - I am studying at SRUC and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh!

My name is Rufus and I am 21!

The Tree Fern is in my parents garden back home that I planted up. I only planted it this summer so it is yet to be tested by a cumbrian winter but I have debrief my dad with protection instructions so fingers crossed!

Sorry I didnt include a full picture of the fern, it has plenty of healthy green fronds!

The fungal growth is indeed only on one side of the trunk and is not anywhere close to the growing tip (caudex?) or any of the fronds. I have asked some of my lecturers and tutors and their advice was leave it and see what happens!

Anyway I really appreciate everyone taking the time to comment, I think I am going to take the optimistic view as presented by Chad!

My advice is simple, just blast off the fungus with a jet of water from a hosepipe. Seeing as it's very mild at the moment, now would be a good time to do it.

I had a similar fungal growth on one of my tree ferns a while back, not to such an extent though, and after blasting off with water it never reappeared. I have a feeling though that leaving it alone would probably not be harmful in the end.

kite567 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 06, 2018 7:00 am My advice is simple, just blast off the fungus with a jet of water from a hosepipe. Seeing as it's very mild at the moment, now would be a good time to do it.

What a stunningly simple idea, I knew I liked you when we me at Crug!
Jas.

Did it work?