Symptoms

 

The first symptom you will probably notice with plants and trees affected by Honey Fungus is general ill-health. Leaves will not grow well, likely to be discoloured and the fruit small. Surprisingly, flowering plants may produce larger than normal flowers immediately before they die back completely.

 

Honey Fungus often appears in clumps of honey-coloured, pale-stemmed toadstools. The fungus may grow round the base or roots of infected plants in the autumn. Honey Fungus possesses a whitish collar-like ring on the stem, just below the cap.

 

Beneath the bark, the roots and trunk may be covered with a sheet of white fungal growth (mycelium), which smells quite strongly of mushrooms. Roots that have been infected for some time may show a soft, mushy, stringy decay.

 

Black bootlace-like strands (rhizomorphs) also occur beneath the bark and on the roots. The ‘bootlaces’ vary in thickness and length, and resemble old roots (see pic below right). They can be difficult to find, and the white growth below the bark, as described above, is the most diagnostic feature of a honey fungus attack.

 

Honey fungus is a rapidly spreading fungus that exists primarily on dead plant material, but can also become a parasite feeding on live plant and tree roots. It attacks a wide variety of plant life ranging from trees to bulbs.

 

Trees infected by Honey Fungus should be monitored frequently and will probably deteriorate rapidly. We often recommend removal of the tree and containment of the arisings. Honey fungus can spread via Rhizomorphs (bootlace runners), by soil transfer or mushroom spores.

Non-chemical control

 

Dig out as much of the root system as possible and dispose of plants infected with honey fungus.

 

Try to contain it and destroy (burn) any arisings of honey fungus possible!

 

Keep other plants growing strongly by feeding and mulching regularly.

 

Once you find honey fungus in your garden, plant only species showing resistance (see below).

Chemical Fungi Control

 

None available.

Interesting Fungi Facts

 

A single Honey Fungus colony is astonishingly the largest and heaviest living organism in the world. It has colonised 880 hectares of wood in about 2300 years having killed a large number of trees on its expansion.

 

Some types of Honey fungus are bio-luminous and can be seen in the dark,  they may be the cause of myths like foxfire and will-o’-the-wisp.

Trees & Plants at Risk of Fungi Infestation:

 

Betula (birch)
Cedars
Cotoneaster
X Cupressocyparis leylandii (Leyland cypress)
Forsythia
Hydrangea
Ligustrum (privet)
Malus (apples and crabs)
Peonies
Prunus (apricots, cherries, peaches and plums)
Rhododendrons/azaleas
Ribes (currants)
Roses
Salix (willows)
Syringa (lilac)
Viburnum
Wisteria

 

If you find honey fungus in your garden, please contact experts to confirm the diagnosis and help you eradicate the infection. Douglas Fir Tree Care are available to help you kill any mushrooms and remove affected trees.