White stuff on Hornbeam

[Jcmmaple]

I just notice these white spots on my collected hornbeam, any ideas on what it is or how to treat it.

 

[0soyoung]

I'm not sure about what the stuff inside the red circle is.

Otherwise, it all is just lichen, IMO.

Lichens are not harmful. They are a symbiotic fungal-algal organism (a fungi that discovered farming!) and a good sign of an unpolluted environment. I like the look of age they add to my trees.

 

[penumbra]

I agree with the above^^^. There is quite a bit of lichen starting up, but the circled in red area could be scale. See if it scraps off with your fingernail. If it is live scale, it may be a bit gooey inside. If it is scale, I would rub it off with a q tip dipped in alcohol.

 

[Jcmmaple]

Well I went to inspect it further after the rain eased up, and I saw this. I can only assume it’s mold, is that correct?

 

[Paradox]

Is that section of the trunk dead or is it still alive?

 

[penumbra]

There is definately some lichen there. What concerns me is that there may be some fungal infection, or maybe fungus growing on dead wood. The tree bark seems rather dark in that area.

 

[Jcmmaple]

Well I guess that answered my question, there is no green when I scrape it away.

 

[Shogun610]

What. Does the tree look like over all.. share a picture of it.. will help in diagnostic

 

[Jcmmaple]

 

[Shogun610]

View attachment 455304

Is there any growth on that trunk? Besides base

 

[Jcmmaple]

No just suckers.

 

[Shogun610]

No just suckers.

Ahh yeah that’s just the wood rotting away .. could make a clump

 

[Jcmmaple]

That’s what I was thinking last night, carve the middle and just let the suckers thicken up. I think it will make an interesting tree.

 

[Paradox]

Yup the trunk above the base is dead

 

[BobbyLane]

Yup the trunk above the base is dead

probably not collected with enough root.