Dogwood Slime
 

Strange slime appeared on my large, ancient,fading dogwood tree last
week. Almost looks as if a deer threw up except we have no deer in the
neighborhood. (near Annapolis,Maryland). It seems to have started on an
old limb stub about chest high and flows to the ground. Consistancy of
oatmeal and dual colored in streaks like the orange and white of a
popsickle. Scraping some off, it doesn't seem to have oozed from the
wood, but I can't tell for sure - no obvious wounds. Is this some sort of
fungus? Most of the white seems to have washed off in the rain the last
couple of days.

We'll see if at blooms on schedule next month.

I put some pictures up on alt.binaries.pictures.gardens.

Any help appreciated.

Bob Kirk

Dogwood Slime
 

Sounds like an opportunistic /adventitious growth of yeast and/or bacteria
that are utilizing the sugars in exuded sap coming from old cuts, pruning,
and breaks in the trees. Nothing to be alarmed about, but the fact that the
plants are weeping high-sugar sap is. This should not be happening.

--
Mike LaMana, MS
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net


"Isobar" wrote in message
...
Strange slime appeared on my large, ancient,fading dogwood tree last
week. Almost looks as if a deer threw up except we have no deer in the
neighborhood. (near Annapolis,Maryland). It seems to have started on an
old limb stub about chest high and flows to the ground. Consistancy of
oatmeal and dual colored in streaks like the orange and white of a
popsickle. Scraping some off, it doesn't seem to have oozed from the
wood, but I can't tell for sure - no obvious wounds. Is this some sort of
fungus? Most of the white seems to have washed off in the rain the last
couple of days.

We'll see if at blooms on schedule next month.

I put some pictures up on alt.binaries.pictures.gardens.

Any help appreciated.

Bob Kirk

Dogwood Slime
 

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 21:28:13 -0400, Isobar wrote:

Strange slime appeared on my large, ancient,fading dogwood tree last
week. Almost looks as if a deer threw up except we have no deer in the
neighborhood. (near Annapolis,Maryland). It seems to have started on an
old limb stub about chest high and flows to the ground. Consistancy of
oatmeal and dual colored in streaks like the orange and white of a
popsickle. Scraping some off, it doesn't seem to have oozed from the
wood, but I can't tell for sure - no obvious wounds. Is this some sort of
fungus? Most of the white seems to have washed off in the rain the last
couple of days.

We'll see if at blooms on schedule next month.

I put some pictures up on alt.binaries.pictures.gardens.

Any help appreciated.

Bob Kirk

This does not sound good. If the tree has value, have an arborist
take a look at it. The slime may be a type of fungus, and that's not
a good sign for a living tree. Dogwood trees are very prone to
disease, and if they are bruised they heal slowly. At the least,
keeping the tree clean should help.