Question
Hi,
I don't know if this would be considered within your realm
of expertise, but I hope you can help. I have some kind of
Mulberry tree in my yard and there is fungus covering it's
branches. The fungus is broad, flat and white. Some of the
bark on my tree is falling off, but I don't know whether it is
due to the fungus.
Should I be concerned about the tree's health? If this is so,
what should I do to rectify the problem?
Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time,
Jesse
Answer
What is on the branches are lichens. These are made up of fungi but they will not harm the tree. In fact the abundance of lichens and the number of different lichens is a sign of good air. Air pollution folks use lichens to determine if the air is polluted or not. Mullberries will sluff off bark as they grow larger. It sounds like your tree is healthy.
