Identification: Growth on healthy tree. Fungus?

Hello,

I joined the forum because I found a growth on my tree.It had to have formed in well under 2 weeks because I'm on my patio often and hadn't noticed it until this weekend.
I knocked it down with a light tap of a broom. When it fell I noticed a sizeable hole where it had grew.
I thought it would be spongy when I went to pick it up, but to my surprise the stem was very sharp and the cap was hard.
My tree has always been healthy and it still looks healthy.
I guess my question is what kind of fungus is this. And is this an early sign that my tree is going to die?

Thank-you

 

This is not an answer. I'm not sure whether the people who will answer this hang out in the Fungi forum or one of the other subforums (don't worry, a moderator will move it if we think there's a better place), but I think we might want to know what kind of tree it is and how old it is. Also, it might help now or in future postings to know where in Canada. You can click on your ID in the upper right, then Personal Details to add the nearest city or something that help understand the climate.

 

Agreed Wendy: Region and tree type will help. Also, what part of the tree was it growing on - lower trunk, roots, mid-trunk?
The firmness/hardness of the flesh helps: Can you also provide more details on the top of the cap?

Usually once you see mushrooms fruiting from a tree (if you are certain it was coming from the wood itself rather than soil/litter in a cavity on a tree), this means the tree contains the body of the fungus. Depending on the kind of fungus, this can signal that the tree is already hurt by another agent and the dead/damaged portions are being decayed by the fungus, or this can mean the fungus is consuming the live tree. Depending on the species of fungus and tree, the tree can live for many years or decades longer, or could be soon dead.

-frog