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Fungus (Chicken of the Woods?) on Laburnum Tree

purplehelen44purplehelen44 Posts: 5
in Problem solving
Hope someone can advise me please - I'm looking after my parents' garden for 3 weeks while they're on holiday and have noticed a large yellowy fungus growing quite high on their Laburnum tree. I'm certain this has appeared within the last week since they've been away and I'm not sure what to do about it? We're in North-East England if that makes any difference!

From doing a bit of googling it appears to be 'chicken of the woods' but I've not seen any advise about how to deal with it. Should I try to remove it or will it die off on it's own? I just want a bit more info before I mention it to them. Thanks in advance.
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  • purplehelen44purplehelen44 Posts: 5
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,102
    edited July 2018
    I would leave it alone and just enjoy its beauty ... the fact that it is growing on the tree indicates that the heartwood of the tree is already rotting.  There is a split in that trunk which will have been letting moisture collect and cause rot.  

    If your parents are particularly fond of that laburnum then now would be a good time to consider where its replacement can be planted so that it can gain in size while the old tree is on its way out ... that way it won't be quite such a tragedy when it goes.

    Although Chicken of the Woods is usually a good edible fungus, I would advise that fungi growing on a laburnum should not be eaten ... this is the advice given about similar fungi growing on yew trees which are also toxic. 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplehelen44purplehelen44 Posts: 5
    Thanks for the advice Dovefromabove.

    (cooo!) 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,102
    lol @purplehelen44

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT_0_NsZ6nc

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,102
    edited July 2018
    Just a thought @purplehelen44 ... laburnum wood is beautiful and much prized by wood turners.

    http://www.markwilliamsonfurniture.com/for-sale-hand-turned-laburnum-bowls/

    Your tree has a good sized trunk ... when it has to come down maybe you could offer it to a local wood turner ... perhaps in exchange for a bowl for yourselves ... a lovely memento of a lovely tree  <3

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplehelen44purplehelen44 Posts: 5
    Great idea, thanks for that!
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,764
    Eat it! Chicken of the woods is one that fungi hunters look for. Best eaten young.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,102
    edited July 2018
    @steephill !!!  :o    It's growing on laburnum!!!

    If we're told not to eat Chicken of the Woods that grows on yew (and that's very well known advice) , then I think it's probably a good idea not to eat it when it's grown on laburnum!!! sprout  as per my earlier post above. 

     :) 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • RaspberryKillerRaspberryKiller Posts: 156
    But... Does it taste like chicken?  :#
  • treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923
    when it breaks it looks like cooked chicken,

    i'm doubtful that it is chicken of the woods as it tends not to produce tiered bracts like that, it tends to clump. i wouldn't eat it anyway as its growing on a toxic wood
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