Strange Growth

[TreeTramp]

anyone care to tell me about this unknow mushroom growth under my 69 year old Pin Oak? Is this a sign on root death?

Dan

 

[tomthetreeman]

I don't know the particular name of the shroom, but yes, mushrooms live on dead/dying wood, and Oaks have specific ones that live on their dead/dying root material, such as the edible Señorita.

It is not necessarily a harbinger of doom, but removal of turf, soil aeration, and a root collar inspection would go a long way to ID'ing and perhaps alleviating the problem.

-Tom

(PS - Posting this over in the 'Bugs and Crud' forum might get you some better responses as well.)

 

[TreeCo]

It may be in the Chanterelle family but don't take any chances. Mushrooms can be deadly to humans!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanterelle

 

[TreeTramp]

WOW It is Chanterelle I may pick some and take them to my favorite french chef and have them comfirm! Thanks. Dan

 

[SMAdams]

Looks like Cantharellus cibarius

http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~5710.asp

 

[Quercoid]

Slow down before you start melting the butter. At least around here chanterelles NEVER grow in turf. Do you have a good photo of the underside of the mushroom? Chanterelles (and a few other mushrooms) will have folds, rather than gills.

But that's not enough, you do need a solid ID from an expert. Some chefs would know. You could take a series of detailed photos and send them off to your local mushroom club http://www.namyco.org/ or even join Mushroom Talk on Yahoo and submit them there. http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MushroomTalk/

The good news is that those mushrooms are definitely not honey mushrooms/armillaria. They also aren't any of the major pathogenic fungi that grow around in my area.

Good luck!