AusBonsai

I entered this Rosemary in the last Shohin comp. Recently I noticed an unusual mushroom growing in/on the tree. You see plenty of mushrooms growing in the soil, but this is the first time I have seen one growing on the tree itself. I am just hoping it is not a bad sign as in nature certain fungus growths occur when the heartwood is dead.

Hi Greg , does not look good to me . Similar ( if not identical ) shelf fungi are often seen on rotting logs . What you can see is only the fruiting body , there is a lot more fungus underneath .
Good luck with it .
Cheers
Graham

Bracket/Shelf Fungi, as far as I know no cure, it will eventually kill it. Spores I'm told can be found even in the soil and will keep spreading.

KIRKY wrote:Bracket/Shelf Fungi, as far as I know no cure, it will eventually kill it. Spores I'm told can be found even in the soil and will keep spreading.

I'm of the understanding that this type of fungus is actually cultivated by forest harvesters and spread throughout logged areas to speed up the decomposition of dead stumps for re planting so I'm assuming it is fatal to dead wood..Not quite the right words but every will know what I mean.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamen ... fungus.htm

Steve.

Try these guys Watto http://www.sydneyfungalstudies.org.au/Intro.html
They have helped me before and know their stuff. Australian Museum used to have an ID expert but cost cutting in sciences is the reason. Interesting how these little micro ecosystems occur in a tiny pot. Decomposition is definitely occuring. Maybe some surgery is the go?

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It does seem like a wood feeding fungi. They get the energy from breaking down the woody part of the tree which transports water. This heartwood is already dead but it's structure is transporting water. As new growth occurs more wood is added and the trunk thicken. A normal forrest tree can a wood eating fungi for many years without a problem.

I would suggest not trimming the tree until the fruiting is over to keep the tree adding new wood through growth and paying careful attention to the watering to keep it moist but not wet. Being a rosemary plant it should be more resistant to rotting away than a soft wood pine, as it has natural inhibitors to rotting (the smell from the leaves is a oil that inhibits decay).

But I haven't actually seen a fungi on a bonsai before. VERY COOL . Thank you for sharing. I hope it stays healthy.

Thank you everyone for your interest. At my place I have a shelf fungi and this particular "growth" does not look like the shelf fungi however I am of course no expert. These growth appear to be growing very close to jin and shari so this may be relevant. I may consider removing these and disposing of the growth appropriately but I am still hopeful that these are just a happening and something not to be real worried about, but I must admit that all the comments have not filled me with hope. I'll keep an eye on things and let you know how it turns out.

G'Day Watto,
It's a lively tree! Hope you can save it in time!
I've picked up a couple of variants of Rosemary and, after seeing them grown as a hedge in Perth was living in hope of turning them into Bonsai... Yours has aspired me to do just that.
All the best with yours!


Cheers
Elmar