What kind of Fungus grows on the trunk!?!?

malik

I hate that my first 2 posts request help, but after 1 year of bonsai I've never seen this before. I live in a very humid place and temps reach near 100F. I've noticed a white residue forming on the trunk of some of my trees. I thought it wasn't anything , but now I've seen that it's eating layers of the trunk away. Could it be a fungus? The trees are still growing fine and show no signs of stress, but the bark is being affected. Anyone ever have this problem?

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rockm

Probably not fungus, but mineral buildup from watering. See if it's "squishy" o scaly. If it's scaly, it's lime build up from your water and fertilizer supply. It's not really harmful, just a bit unattractive. It's a pain to remove (scrubbing with a toothbrush and diluted vinegar solution) and may not be worth the effort. Scrubbing can do more damage to the bark than the buildup.

ALDEVAUX

There are many different species of fungi that can live on or in the barks of trees. They are usually not visible when the bark is dry but become so when there is lots of moisture that remains for a long time on the surfaces. The color of these fungi varies according to the species and can go from white to green or grey etc. In most cases these fungi are just saprophytes in the sense that they feed only on the dead organic matter of the barks.
There is only one case I know off where a white fungus has been observed on the bark of white ash trees that can cause serious damage to the trees. Here is a picture at this kink :
http://www.eco-systems.org/white_fungus_killing_ash.htm
The best way to find out if it's a fungus that is growing on your trees, and if it is pathogenic, is to have it checked in a plant pathology laboratory at your local agricultural services.

malik

Can such a build up eat away at the bark?