Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Trees

White Fungal Growth on Old Pear Tree: Decay Fungus, Not Killer

Question: 55-yr pear tree in Houston: hollow trunk, white spongy pyramid fungus at base (¾" thick, 2 ft up). Same on dead hackberry. Deadly? Treat?

Answer

Decay fungus fruiting body (conk). Attacks dead heartwood only—won't kill tree. Hazard only if large limbs break hollow. No fungicide penetrates wood. Fertilize 10-10-10 at 1 lb per inch DBH to boost vigor. Tree can live decades more.

Trees: Fig Tree Trunk Fungus: Atomic Grow for Nematode and Fungal Management; Red Spikes on Willow Trunk? It’s Borer Frass—Here’s What to Do; Black Trunk on Live Oak: Natural Aging or Lichens?; Mystery Blob at Mulberry Base: Fungus or Harmless Slime Mold?; Maple Borer Infestation in Old Wound: Treatment and Risk; Mushrooms on Ash Trunk: Internal Decay, Not a Death Sentence; Mushrooms at Pecan Tree Base: Decay Fungi or Harmless Soil Fungi?; Gray Fungus on Large Trees: Lichens, Not a Disease; Maple Trunk Suckers: Normal Response to Sunlight; Tree Cavity in Deck Tree: Don't Fill, Fertilize

Garden Articles

Large Fungus at Base of Pecan Tree: Cut or Keep?

Hollow Birch Trunk: Decay Fungus, Tree Still Healthy

Cottony Scale on Magnolia: Not Fungus, But Insect Infestation

Deer Antler Damage on Red Maple: Emergency Response

Saving a Rotting Poplar: Fertilization for Structural Longevity

Magnolia Tree Decline: White Bark Growth and Leaf Spots in Fort Worth

Tree Decay Fungus: Fruiting Body Identification

Plants

Grey-White Circles on Lilac Trunk: Need Photo for Identification

Oak Tree Bark Sloughing with Gray Fungus After Drought: Hypoxylon Canker—Tree Must Be Removed

Fungus on Fig Tree Trunk: Wood Decay Warning

Storm Damage on Mature Conifer: Wound Care and Long-Term Assessment

Mango Tree from Seed: Rootstock Suckers & Fruiting Reality

Neighbor's Holly Tree with Yellow Leaves: Assessing Health and Boundary Issues

Grass Clippings and Fungus Spread: Myth vs. Reality