Question
Today I noticed a large (3 inch wide and 3/4 inch long) clump of off white matter, on the base of the bark of my Bradford Pear tree (Tree was planted 7 years ago  when thehouse was built). The tree has pine bark mulch around it and some new mulch was recently added. We've had a lot of rain this past month but I have good drainage. Should I treat this  as a fungus or whatever it is???

Answer
Dear Jo, it sounds like you have a large fungal body similar to a mushroom, but I would definitely get rid of the white clump.  It probably won't cause any damage to your tree but Bradford pears are subject to a variety of fungal woes so to be on the cautious side, I would remove every bit of the white fungus and dispose of it.  Then I would probably spray the area with NEEM, a botanical product available at all garden supply centers, which will help prevent any spread.  Otherwise, try not to let the area get quite as wet - aside from rainfall.  If the mulch is wet, the area should dry out well before you water.  I hope this information helps.  Good luck, Melissa