Question
Jim:  I live in northern Georgia (lots of pine trees).  We just had a terrific storm (tornado watch), and I noticed the strangest thing on one of my pine trees.  It is about 50-60 feet tall, and it was raining so hard, the water was running down the trunk.  Where the trunk enters the ground, there is a huge pile of white foam!  Do you have any idea what is wrong?  Some kind of fungi?

Thank you for any help you can give.

Answer
Sorry I do not have any idea what this could be. The only thing I can think of is the pine has been attacked by a beetle called ambrosia beetle which leaves a white saw dust when it bores into the trunk.  If it rains this may rinse the dust to the ground. IF so you should see a solid dust ring on the ground after the rain dries. Beyond that I have little idea of the problem sorry! You could check with the Ga. Forestry Commission and ask one of their Foresters to take a look. Their phone number should be in your local phone book.