Does anyone know what this is on my Cherry Tree? They're brown and dry - kinda scaly. They are only on this side of the tree. This line of brown growth runs from about a foot off the ground up to the top branch. Is this fungus? Should I peel them off? Is this dangerous to other trees, animals or me? Will these "things" kill my tree? Will I have to lose these limbs? In order, 162 is at the bottom, then 161, then 158, then 159, and then 160 at the top. 158 shows where we limbed a branch 3 yrs ago. Pictures 149, 150 and 153 were taken about a week ago - the others this morning. This is an ornamental tree - it is not fruit bearing. It has been in the ground at this location for about 10 yrs. Two years ago, the garage behind it was built. The garage puts the tree in almost total shade except for early morning sun and late afternoon sun. The brown growth sits at about 120 degrees ESE and runs in a line from about 1' off the ground to about 10-11' off the ground. There are no similiar growths are only other point around the tree. When the garage was built, the soil about 8' to the south (garage) was disturbed for the foundation and about 6' to the west and about 8-10' to the east was disturbed for electrical lines.
A fungus has entered the tree through the branch stub. Any parts from which the spore-producing bodies visible here emerge can probably be safely assumed to have been pretty much lost at that point, the idea being that the fungus fruits in a portion after it's growth (and decomposing of the wood) is well advanced. If the bumps are popping out of the main trunk then the existing top may be pretty much a loss, possibly there is still intact wood below the zone of infestation above which the tree could be cut - to grow back as a forking specimen. If your tree is grafted an important point would be where the graft union is, if near the ground there could be potential for renewing it from down low. If the whole top ends up being lost root sprouts are liable to be sweet cherry seedling rootstock or another rootstock variety which will have different flowers from those being produced by the scion (cherry grafted on top) now.
If I understand what you implied, it means that the fungus has gone through an open wound on the tree and then emerged on the main trunk from 1' or so to the 10' level on the main tree trunk .... given what you've said, it means the whole tree is diseased? or does it mean that just that linear line of fungus is diseased - I can't just slice a thin pie wedge - about 8-10" wide in the trunk from 1' or so above the ground to the 10' above the ground - there's got to be another way. Please note it is flowering beautifully.