Heterobasidion annosum: a basidiomycete fungus in the family Bondarzewiaceae .. maybe.
Stay with me for a minute: This looks cool, but is this a tree killer? This almost sounds like it’s from a science fiction, but it’s very real, and playing out right now. (from gardeningguides.com)
Tree fungus spreads just like any spore-producing mushroom. The fruiting body or exterior will ripen and release spores. The spores are carried on wind or by animal movement to a hospitable environment where they begin to produce a web of mycelium and begin the fruiting process again. Tree fungus spores land on wounds in tree bark. They begin to feed on the damaged tissue as they send out mycelium to grow. Some send threads of mycelium into the heartwood of a tree to eat that dead wood. Rotted wood drops to the ground and nourishes tree roots.
Nature has a way of clearing out the old and making room for new, healthy trees. I am glad I’m not a tree.
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