I have a fungus growing on an ornamental plum tree by my driveway. It came out a few weeks ago where I cut off a branch several years ago and is growing fast. The first picture is from last week, the others from last night. Since Laetiporus sulphureus is found in eastern Canada I wonder if this could be L. gilbertsonii. From what I can see it is found in Oregon south. Or is it something else? What do you think? I guess it is too late to do anything about it? Should I just leave it or cut it off?
Looks like you got it right! Here's THE publication with an excellent key to Laetiporus. http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2001/burds01a.pdf
Thanks, MycoRob! I did not see it mentioned in Canada in the paper but I am close enough to Washington to be included in the range.
You should have picked it when you saw it a week ago. That was the perfect stage for eating. It doesn't matter what you do with it now. It's a bit too old for using it, and your tree will eventually rot from the inside out. The tree may survive for a number of years; so you can expect more crops of this mushroom.
Thanks, vitog! I did not know it was better at the early growth stage :) This tree has several stems joined at ground level. If this is the first year the fungus has grown into the stem how far would the infection have gone downwards? If I cut this stem maybe four feet below the fruiting body would it then be possible to save the remaining stems?
I would cut the stem as far down as possible, preferably where it joins other stems at ground level. That would give you the best chance of saving the rest of the tree. The mycelium can grow for years before it produces a fruiting body, which is the mushroom that you see.
And i'd put the fruitbody on another tree, so i could have more of the mushrooms to eat next year. I'd choose a similar species & similar sized tree that is already dying or in rough shape.
