Bracket Fungi
What is Bracket Fungi?
Brackets (or bracket fungi) are fungi which appear on trees throughout spring, summer and autumn.
The dangers of fungal brackets:
The fungal bracket will have grown into the heartwood of the tree, which can cause severe weakening of the tree. If the tree has grown weak, it may topple at any time (and not necessarily just when the fungi is present).
How to identify fungal brackets:
The main identifier of bracket fungi is the large bracket body which will appear on the outside of the tree – these can be up to 60cm in diameter. By the time the bracket appears, there will usually have been significant decay inside the tree. A secondary identifier is falling branches, which shows that the heartwood has weakened. However, please be aware that many different factors may also cause the branches of a tree to fall.
What can be done about Bracket Fungi?
Unfortunately, once you have identified bracket fungi, there is often very little that can be done to save the tree. Chemical treatments will also have minimal impact. Bracket fungi enters the heartwood via any open wound or tear in the tree’s trunk – due to this, infestations of the fungi can spread quickly. Ash, beech and prunus trees are especially susceptible.
What to do if you think you have fungal brackets:
If you suspect that your tree has bracket fungi, we recommend that a tree survey is completed as soon as possible. This can help identify any weakness in the tree as well as ascertain whether the fungi present is bracket fungi or another fungi entirely. Regular tree surveys can also identify any wounds on trees, meaning that any susceptible trees are removed before the fungi can take hold.
Prohort Ltd provides comprehensive tree surveys to the BS5837-2012. Find out more about our tree survey service in our Services page.