Conks on pear ID help please

SouthSoundTree · Oct 26, 2010

I saw conks on a historic pear tree at an Olympia historic house/ museum. Worked for the neighbor, who said her pear was from the original orchard. Its about the same size as the affected one at the museum.

My first explanation from visual inspection was that this is a grafted tree with the head stock growing thicker than the rootstock. What do you say?

Looks buried. Camera case at base of tree for size reference.

Two conks on side of tree, that I saw.

Leans toward the road, sidewalk, and a memorial iron fence. Would realistically reach the road a bit, but more importantly the sidewalk and fence. I was thinking that a cable to a concrete ground anchor that would swing it away from the fence would be okay, if the potential drop zone were fenced.

I'd appreciate some ID help, and prognosis for such a fungal infection. I did nothing but look at the tree, as I was just happening by. Voice mail is in to the museum staff.

Underside of second conk

Camera case at base

SkwerI · Oct 26, 2010

Not knowing much about pear trees, my first inclination is that the CODIT walls have failed. If the decay is more than a third of the way around the trunk then there's really no good way to preserve the structural integrity of the trunk.

TreeDimensional · Oct 26, 2010

From the look of the last pic, I would say prune it at the root flare, IF it had one! No idea on the fungi!

SouthSoundTree · Oct 26, 2010

Do you mean that the irregular trunk shape is due to increased reaction wood production of some sort? Or ?

TreeDimensional · Oct 26, 2010

Yes! Probably rot.

SouthSoundTree · Oct 26, 2010

Its a museum, and maybe a historic tree. About 30' tall, and reasonably aesthetically pleasing. Better than the topped english hollies, and topped/ regrown Norway spruce.

In most cases Brent, I'd agree with you, however, with it as a possible "historic" tree, people will want to know if "anything can be done", and get a recommendation.

Oly has some cool historic houses and trees. There is one massive walnut, possibly the biggest tree I've seen in Olympia, volume-wise and spread-wide, that was part of an orchard, back when the city, centered around the Port of Olympia, was still far from the country orchard (a few miles).

Blinky · Oct 26, 2010

Targets?

sawinredneck · Oct 26, 2010

No clue on the fungi, and I sure don't know it all, but I think it's been hit by lightning at some point in it's life, but again, I'm not there and it's my uneducated guess.

SouthSoundTree · Oct 26, 2010

I've seen big fir with swollen butts before, but not like this, with the bulge so very concentrated in location.

SouthSoundTree · Oct 26, 2010

sawinredneck said:
No clue on the fungi, and I sure don't know it all, but I think it's been hit by lightning at some point in it's life, but again, I'm not there and it's my uneducated guess.

Trunk is oddly represented in those pictures. Rain tracked down the trunk in a funny way where parts were wet, and parts dry.

No characteristic lightning strike wound. We rarely get lightning here, for some reason. Much taller trees in the general area. Did see a lightning struck old doug-fir up here recently, though. Was asked for an appraisal on risk, but I knew it was out of my league to assess it properly.

SouthSoundTree · Oct 26, 2010

Targets
1st post
5th paragraph

canadiantreeman · Oct 26, 2010

I would argue that the trunk irregularity is due to the graft. I think your initial impression was correct. I don't think that the tree has begun to 'sit' down on itself, due to a lack of structural integrity caused by the decay.

Regarding the conk, you may be able to excise the fruiting bodies and locate holes in which to probe for stem volume; the amount of intact wood in that cylinder. If it meets the 30% stem volume criteria, then it could be saved. Another thing to consider is that while the conk is large in appearance on the trunk, this doesn't mean that the integrity of the stem underneath it is compromised to reflect the size of the conk. That is; you are most likely aware that the fruiting body represents the reproductive structures of the decay fungus inside the trunk, it is possible that the tree has been able to compartmentalize the decay to an extent acceptable given contemporary risk analysis models. The issue is determining the integrity of the tree; the extent of the decay.

Interesting. I would love to know a mycologist.

TheTreeWiseMen · Oct 27, 2010

Tree seems to be a graft, bracket looks like Ganoderma, but hard to tell in that rain.

Paul B · Oct 27, 2010

I'm with Rob, at a glance it looks like a Ganoderma and poor rootstock choice for the graft (not vigourous enough to keep up to the top). Rx? maybe core it to determine the level of decay, that and plant its successor, soon.

Buzz · Oct 27, 2010

For what it's worth, I would agree with Paul. Ganoderma sp. for sure.

SouthSoundTree · Oct 27, 2010

Guy M. thought from the what I put up that it was horse hoof fungus (fomes fomentarius).

I picked up a check from the neighbor's house this morning and took some more pictures.

Tree looks like it have been let go with some large suckers, but overall looked okay.

If they call me, I am definitely for RCX.

Old cherry stump with mountainash (sorbus) growing out of it.

Topped English holly and spruce

canadiantreeman · Oct 27, 2010

Pull test to determine strength of stem?

SouthSoundTree · Oct 28, 2010

The first picture in post #16 is looking down to the water in Budd Inlet, the part of the Puget Sound that comes into downtown and Port of Olympia. This is an old house, relatively speaking for the area. Olympia was founded in about 1850.

A storm front was moving in off the coast with some steady winds and gusts.

I was driving up the street looking for my real customer's house to bid a tree when I saw a split in half flowering plum laying on the residential powerline and the fence at the downhill side of the museum house. That's when I looked further and spotted the strange trunk and conk on the pear. Finally, I made it to my customer's house at the end of the block, The Glass House, on Glass Av., owned by, guess who, the Glasses. Another old pear in their yard, of which they are very protective.

The tree maybe "fine" or it may be troubled. Hopefully, I'll hear from them. Museum is open on weekends only.

Conks on pear ID help please

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