Help with tree fungus

jameshayes

Quick question - this fungus has been found on a number of my parents trees in france, it seems to be spreading through the garden. Does anyone know what it is or how damaging it is?

Oldtree

that looks like a lichen, if so then of asthetic importance only and generally a sign of clean air. have a yellow one all over trees here and the stones are covered with loads of different types. If you look closely at a stone with them on it you can see little black lines between them and these lines are where a war is going on between the different types for their little world domination.

http://www.google.ie/search?q=lichen&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UkNwUND6BNSYhQfXrIHgDA&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1136&bih=752

rje66

jameshayes wrote: »

Quick question - this fungus has been found on a number of my parents trees in france, it seems to be spreading through the garden. Does anyone know what it is or how damaging it is?

Agree, lichens it is.

looksee

If it is lichen, and it does look like it, then it is harmless and as Oldtree says. a sign of clean air. I think there are chemicals you can use to remove it, but I find it quite attractive and would leave it alone.

jameshayes

thanks for the replies.

the reason why they were worrying was the bark below the lichen is erroded, but they had an crazy hot summer there - so possibly a coincidence. Apple trees in particular are having a bad time, the tree in the pic is an indian bean tree which is trained into a pristine formation and they wouldn't want to loose it...

Oldtree

This is unproven but an observation - It may well be that the lichen is creating a humid microclimate beneath it which may damage the bark, but the lichen has no impact on the overall health of the tree. A similar thing happens to a trees bark when ivy has been rampant and creates an ivy curtain, in that wood louse create a mulch under the ivy and this damages the bark by both clogging the pores and creating a very humid microclimate.