What's wrong with my plant? Give us your feedback

Hickory > Whole tree > Tree breaks or falls over

1 of 4
  • Armillaria root rot 1

    Credit: Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • Armillaria root rot 2

    Credit: M. Grabowski, University of Minnesota

  • Armillaria root rot 3

    Credit: M. Grabowski, University of Minnesota

  • - CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE -

green arrowArmillaria root rot
Armillaria spp.

  • Infected trees have poor growth, dead branches in the upper canopy, undersized and/or yellow leaves
  • Flat white sheets of fungal growth (mycelial fans) between the bark and sapwood at the base of infected trees
  • Thick black, shoestring-like fungus can sometimes be seen under the bark, around roots and in the soil around the base of the tree
  • Wood is decayed, white, soft and spongy; this may extend from the base of the tree well up into the trunk
  • Trees frequently break or fall over in storms
  • Clusters of honey-colored mushrooms may grow at the base of the tree in fall
  • More information on Armillaria root rot...
2 of 4
  • Flathead appletree borer 1

    Credit: Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org

  • Flathead appletree borer 2

    Credit: James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • Flathead appletree borer 3

    Credit: James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • - CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE -

green arrowFlathead appletree borer
Chrysobothris femorata

  • White froth usually oozes from cracks in bark
  • Dead branches in crown of older trees
  • Bark becomes sunken at site of injury; bark may crack later
  • Injured areas become larger and deform with annual attacks
  • Young and stressed trees are most at risk
  • Larvae are cream-colored, flattened bodies, about 1 inch long
  • Long tunnels under the bark girdle trees and cause structural weakness
  • More information on Flathead appletree borer...
3 of 4
  • Heart rot 1

    Credit: Andrej Kunca, National Forest Centre, Slovakia, Bugwood.org

  • Heart rot 2

    Credit: J. O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • Heart rot 3

    Credit: J. O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • - CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE -

green arrowHeart rot
Fomes fomentarius

  • Canopy may show no symptoms, or may have small, yellowing leaves or dead branches depending on the extent of decay
  • In cross section, the wood at the center of the trunk is white, mottled, soft and crumbly
  • Hoof-shaped, silvery-grey to brown, fungal fruiting bodies up to 8 inches across arise along the stem; often near a pruning wound, crack or other wound
  • More information on Heart rot...
4 of 4
  • Ganoderma root and butt rot 1

    Credit: Thomas E. Hinds, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • Ganoderma root and butt rot 2

    Credit: M. Grabowski, University of Minnesota

  • Ganoderma root and butt rot 3

    Credit: M. Grabowski, University of Minnesota

  • - CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE -

green arrowGanoderma root and butt rot
Ganoderma spp.

  • Leaves are small and may yellow and drop
  • Canopy appears thin with few leaves and multiple dead branches
  • Fungal conks, semicircle shelf fungi, can be found from the base of the tree up to 3 feet high on the trunk
  • Conks are reddish brown and shiny on top, white and porous underneath, a rim of white may be visible on the edge of the growing conks
  • Infected wood at the base of the tree is white, soft, stringy or spongy
  • Infected trees frequently break or fall over in storms
  • More information on Ganoderma root and butt rot...

Don't see what you're looking for?