With spring comes excitement as new growth and sprouts come from the ground and trees. If you inspect your trees, you might notice some mosses growing on your trees. Leaving you to wonder is this normal? It is a fungus? Is it harming the tree? Should it be removed?

These grayish to light green, circular and spongy things are known as lichens (pronounced “likens”). The good news is, no, these are not harmful to your trees.

"According to the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory (PPDL), a lichen is a fungus and an alga growing as an interwoven mass that appears to be a single individual. Lichens grow symbiotically, which means that both the alga and the fungus provides something essential to the other for its survival. Lichens are not harmful to plants. They are merely using the plants or trees as a place to anchor."

While lichens are not harmful to your trees, it is important to watch out for other signs of distress or fungus growing from or around the base of your trees. When you spot a fungus growing from a tree, it's usually a good sign of a decaying tree. "Because fungi feed on organic matter, they are often a sure sign that a tree is nearing the end of its life. Tree fungi come in diverse arrays of shapes and sizes. There are a few growth forms of fungus that are easily identifiable." Check out this guide from Earth.com to help identify some types of fungus you may spot growing on your property.

Do you have questions about your trees? Have you spotted a concerning fungus? Give us a call for a tree risk assessment or removal. 765-428-0589

Browning Tree Service employs Joshua Browning ISA certified arborist license #KY-9849A who is a proud member of Indiana Arborist Association and International Society of Arboriculture, serving the West Lafayette and Lafayette, Indiana area!

Resources:

https://extension.purdue.edu/news/county/whitley/2021/11/lichens.html

https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/guide-to-identifying-tree-fungus/