I have taken out a Holly tree that was not doing well and plan to put in a small Maple. But first I have to ID this mushroom that might have been making the Holly a bit sick. It is probably growing on an old cherry stump/roots that were not removed when the tree was cut down 5 years ago. I have included a photo of the mushroom and spore print. Thanks
Hi wazungy, Thank you for the diagnostic photos! The ring on the stem and the white spore print (and white spore prints left on some of the caps), colour etc, suggest a member of the Armillaria genus, the honey mushrooms. Is this a photo from the fall 2012 or is this more recent: If taken recently is an odd time of year for it, but I've seen a few fall mushrooms fruiting around town lately. Armillarias (at least some of them) are known to be aggressive wood decayers. I know two species that send out black rhizomorphs to new territory, tough cables that survive in stumps and soil, to find new food sources. - I'm wondering if all Armillarias do this - does anyone know? Unfortunately they are also known to like hardwoods and conifers, a variety of kinds of trees, so if this is Armillaria yes your maple tree may be in danger. It might be worth trying to obtain more info from silvicultural folks - perhaps there is some data/experience on how long the fungus is likely to survive/remain in that spot once it has finished consuming the cherry roots, or any buried wood in that area. Hope that is helpful, frog
I suspected and feared Armillaria. If ID is correct, I have a bit of a clean up to do before putting in a maple. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. The photo was taken november 2012 I believe. Thanks!
