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Old 04-10-2020, 06:05 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Nick Maclaren[_5_] Nick Maclaren[_5_] is offline
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Default Viburnam collapsed with spongy wood - seeking possible cause

In article ,
wrote:

(Nick) Thanks for the thoughts, but I'm puzzled about your Bracket Fungus idea.
- I can't see any Bracket Fungus (possibility of one tiny bit). The object I
am calling a 'gall' is not a fungus, I am pretty sure. It's quite woody
- From my readig, Bracket fungus lives on dying wood, but doesn't cause the
dying.
Can you explain a bit more? Thanks


Most bracket fungi ARE woody - you can even use them as fuel. Your
description indicated that the fungus hadn't actually killed the
plant directly - just caused it to fall over - which is very typical
of a heartwood-destroying fungus. As I said, some plants (like oak)
are adapted to such things, and often live longer with no heartwood
left in their trunk than while there still was some.

Fungi like coral fungus live on dead sapwood, but many others (like
at least many bracket fungi) live on heartwood (instead or as well).
The thing to remember is that, in most broad-leaved, non-tropical
woody plants, heartwood IS dead. Most conifers and some tropical
plants are different.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.