I brushed these off yesterday and they are back today. I only see them on my potted figs. Not the in-ground ones. Anyone know what they are?
how large are your potted figs? that trunk looks large!! sorry i can't help on the issue, hope you figure it out. Thanks, -Luke
Adventitious roots? Lots of Ficus species produce them (F. benghalensis is famous for them) so it wouldn't be surprising if F. carica does too.
While I have not seen this before, I think this is latex exuded from tiny insect damage on the trunk. This is still your spring. If you notice the extrusion has a stickier end nearest the trunk, kinda looks or feels like white household glue, then that's what it is. I believe you had a pretty cold winter with late frosts and snows. If this fig was kept in cold shelter, or outdoors with deep mulch, I'd expect some sort of weeping complaint. This is a new one to me, though. Those little aerial roots we discuss are only white at the very new tips when I've seen them, and the tips very definitely taper.
Not roots. The slightest touch or breeze and they turn to powder. They do not leave a hole in the bark either. They are hollow. I saw this on them last spring also.
Some of the Cammilea fungi are similar, but I've never thought of them as a North American phenomenon.....
Interesting. Do you think the fungus caused the death, or do you think the fungus followed a disease path that was already killing them? Did your inground figs die too? I'm guessing your total was five and you only have one remaining.
None of my in ground figs showed any signs of this fungus. Only the potted figs. I'm not sure if some disease or weakness preceded the fungus. 2 of the 4 that died did so after being unpotted and replanted in the ground for about a month. Roots seemed to looked fine.