Fungus???

[Harvey Mungaknuts]

Is this some type of fungus or something else growing up in soil around tree base

[Petee]

What kind of a tree is it?

Is there any damage to the tree itself?

Are they attached to or coming up from underneath the soil?

Could you send me a close up of one of the oval structures?

Is it soft and crushable?  Odor?

Might I be able to get a sample of them in a Zip Lock baggie asap?

My phone is 371-3322 or 590-9010.

 

 

[Harvey Mungaknuts]

maple

tree itself doesn't seem damaged although leaves are thin this year.

from in the soil, rather hard , grey powdery discharge

better picture tomorrow

 

[Petee]

Try this:  

 

 

[Petee]

You may want to remove that tree.  https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150801-mushrooms-fungus-science-glowing/

[Harvey Mungaknuts]

thanks.  that nailed it

 

 

 

 

 

[Pappy]

yep I would say they are deadmans fingers. I saw a group of mushroom hunters at Mcconnels Mills park yesterday and thought of your post. So I checked out their facebook page and saw someone mention deadmans fingers and I thought bingo. I see that Petee already identified them which i figured she would.

[Petee]

I never imagined such a grody fungus.  Some of it looks like feet with pink toes.

[lavender]

The world of fungi is weird and wonderful. I used to find this one along the fence of my veggie garden. It is known as dog penis fungus or less salaciously as dog stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus). They give them such great names. I don't know where that name came from but I have from a reputable source that when a mushroom guide was recently compiled the publisher insisted of common names for all of the 'shrooms. Some of them didn't have them as they were of no interest to anyone but the people who studied them so the person consulted made them up as he went along. He had a very whimsical imagination.  Here is the dog penis fungus

[Lupara]

You might have buried Fido a little deeper there Lav.

[Harvey Mungaknuts]

found it is even growing on the landscape blocks around the tree.   tree will be cut in winter ( if it makes it that long)  will bleach kill this stuff in the soil afterwards

[Petee]

Actually as the wood beneath the surface rots away, the fungus will disappear.  Bleach will not only not kill the fungus, it will destroy your soil organisms.  Just rake them away till they starve out.

 

You can also try the method outlined in this university article.  http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74100.html

[lavender]

3 hours ago, Harvey Mungaknuts said:

found it is even growing on the landscape blocks around the tree.   tree will be cut in winter ( if it makes it that long)  will bleach kill this stuff in the soil afterwards

Not sure why you are so worried about it. It's not a fungus the way athletes foot is a fungus. It is just nature's way of utilizing dead or dying organic material. It helps break down the wood so that it returns to the soil like earthworms or soil bacteria work with the soil or in your compost heap.  Without these things everything that died would just lay there and never decompose. 

[Sanibel]

The fungus feeds on dead or rotting wood so it doesn't actually cause the problem but it a sign that the tree or roots are bad.  It won't invade healthy wood.I agree with Petee and Lavender. I wouldn't use bleach on the soil.