What is it?

[Appleblossom]

Hi, the past couple of days I've found clumps of this fungi on a border in our garden. I've removed the main clumps, but bits break off, I'm wondering how careful I need to be removing and handling it. Basically is it anything to worry about?





Thanks in advance.

[FungiJohn]

Hi Appleblossom

I'm afraid you have the Honey Fungus - Armillaria mellea which means that a nearby tree(s) is infected.

You may see black bootlace threads at the base of the tree and these can also extend below ground for quite a distance.

It can also attack herbaceous perennials.

You can check if the tree is infected by peeling away a small amount of bark at the base of the tree. If you see a creamy coloured area of Mycelium then the tree is infected for sure.

The only way to eradicate this fungus is to dig out and destroy by burning. This includes roots and stumps.

Sorry it's not good news!

John

[Appleblossom]

Thank you.

It's a tiny garden, and no trees in the near area in our, or our neighbours gardens. We used to have a flowering cherry tree, but that died a few years ago, the roots of it are still under the soil in that area, and there is a shoot that's constantly trying to grow, that I believe started growing from those roots a number of years ago, and I'm constantly cutting back, if that's infected I wouldn't mind too much, but it is a few feet away. There is also a few stumps of old shrubs on that border, it got overgrown, and we had the people that fitted a new fence chain saw them all off at the base. Could the dying wood under the soil be the cause of them?

There's shrubs a few feet away. And it's growing right next to a patch of strawberry plants we planted this year, should I be concerned about the affect of the fungus on them?

[ETA]

Thinking about that border, I think there are live roots still from the shrubs that were cut back, there's the occasional shoot that comes up, and we have to chop off. Maybe it's attacking those roots, and will actually do us a favour and kill them off.

[Ditiola]

Hi

It can infect and kill shrubs, although some (such as privet) are more susceptible than others, however this does not mean it will infect and kill any other trees or shrubs. Plants have there own defensive mechanisms and will fight of any invading fungal hyphae, the ones most likely to get infected are any that are weak or are suffering some sort of stress making them less able to fight of any invasion. It’s a bit like Flue virus can kill humans but not everyone dies of flue: Honey fungus is a very common fungus in most woods but it does not kill all the trees in the wood.

About 25 years ago near where I live every other one of a long row of roadside trees was felled to make room for the others and most of the resulting stumps got infected with Honey Fungus, but over the last 25 years non of the remaining trees has become infected even though they are only about 10 meters from the stumps.

Peter

[Ditiola]

PS



Whoops

Flue virus is what you get in chimneys

I think I have had a dose of too many ‘E’s

Peter

[Appleblossom]

Thanks, my main concern really was how toxic it is, we have a cat, and our 2 yr old grandson occasionally goes into the garden.

Our tiny garden does tend to get left to it's own devices in some areas. :P It does attract things like the butterfly in my avatar. But it seems, bad things too, I'm starting to think it's due to the stumps and roots in that border after doing a little extra research now I know what it is.

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by Appleblossom

Thanks, my main concern really was how toxic it is, we have a cat, and our 2 yr old grandson occasionally goes into the garden.

Our tiny garden does tend to get left to it's own devices in some areas. :P It does attract things like the butterfly in my avatar. But it seems, bad things too, I'm starting to think it's due to the stumps and roots in that border after doing a little extra research now I know what it is.

Hi Appleblossom

I wouldn't worry about your cat, and with a child of two under close supervision it would be no more harmful than other plants in the garden.

Yes, old stumps and roots in the border would be a good 'starter' for the Honey fungus!

John

[fairplay]

Having had first hand experience of fighting Honey Fungus for what must be over 10 years now , I am not convinced of the 'healthy trees not being affected' theory.
I believe all one has to do is simple hoeing of the weeds near a tree and that could damage fine roots near the surface and any Honey Fungus present 'homes in' on this.

Many books will tell you that HF does not spread by spores but by bootlaces - so why does it produce spores then ?

Last year, one single Cottoneaster in a hedge started to die, and this year it was completely dead. Today I found out why - Honey Fungus

I no longer work in the garden where I have been fighting HF for over 10 years, but now I have it in another garden I have worked in for 6 years. When I cut the grass today I found 5 clumps of golden Honey Fungus - one clump right next to the dead Cottoneaster and the others just feet away from others in the hedgerow.
When I return next week, I will be digging up ALL the Cottoneaster shrubs plus 1 extra (to be safe) where the HF is growing and leave a 2 foot deep trench next to the remaining shrubs in the hedgerow to prevent bootlaces spreading.
I will be removing as much of the roots as is possible, take the whole lot down to the bottom of the garden next to the river and burn it.

But how the hell did HF get there in the first place ? It has to be by spores.
Last year, I had cut down a large Ash and Walnut and these were only 10 yards away, but no HF seems to be present anywhere near these stumps.
I hate you, Honey Fungus !

Neil.

[Ditiola]

Hi

I think there is no doubt that Honey fungus is able to spread quite efficiently by spores as well as by its boot-lace rhizoid threads.

As Neil has demonstrated it can be very hard work if not probably near impossible to eliminate Honey Fungus from a garden, so if you can possibly manage to live with it then life will be much easier. From Neil’s experience it seems that Cotoneaster is another susceptible shrub I would imagine if you search the internet someone somewhere has made a list of susceptible shrubs and resistant shrubs. If so, it may possibly be easier to replace susceptible shrubs with resistant shrubs (depending on their size!) than to try for total eradication of the fungus but I will leave that for you to choose.

Peter