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From a distance I thought this was a hive, but this is actually part of the tree! Anyone ever see anything like this? Is the tree okay?
Woods, NE PA.
Spotted on May 12, 2014
Submitted on May 13, 2014
3 Comments
So I think this might be a tree gall. Does anyone know a lot about these?
The tree does have leaves on it, so the tree is still alive...for now. The closest limb was high up and the leaves weren't all the way up so I couldn't tell what kind of tree it was.
Large canker. Cankers are localized deformations of trees caused by fungi. The fungi enters the tree through a wound or broken branch, where spores land and send in the beginnings of the mycelium. In Cankers the fungi attack mostly the bark and the cambial layer of the tree. Usually the bark is just deformed. Cankers are pretty common. Some are annual. Perennials can be more destructive. (Book: Mushrooms in the winter by Donald W. Stokes)