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Oak Base Fungus: Bleeding Tooth Fungus (Decay Indicator)

Yellow-white fungal "bolls" at base of mature oak in central Ohio ravine (usually moist, now very dry). Cut open: bark surrounded by fungus, mushroom smell, maggots inside, gnats around.

Identification

Bleeding tooth fungus (Hydnellum peckii)—decay fungus on trunk. Photo Reference | Wikipedia Description

Significance

Indicates internal decay. Monitor tree structure.

Trees: White Powdery Growth on Oak: Powdery Mildew or Insects?; Hollow White Oaks with Carpenter Ants: Fertilize, Don't Fell; Oak Leaf Galls: Wasp-Induced, Cosmetic Only; Oak Trunk Fungus (Conks): Decay Fungi Management; Dark Clusters on Oak Branches: Insect Galls, Not Fungus; Decay Fungus Conks on Red Oak: Not an Emergency; Oak Galls: Species-Specific, Not a Health Threat; Orange Mushrooms on Oak Trunk: Decay Fungus, Not an Emergency; White Webbing on Oak Trunk and Branches: Harmless Bark Lice; Oak with Old Pruning Wound and Insects

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