identifying tree issue


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Old 11-03-14, 06:51 AM
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Question identifying tree issue

Hello,

We have a large tree on our property that is still alive, but appears to be having some trouble. We don't know much about trees, but thought this seemed a little weird. Every time we have a windy day, some large branches come down pretty easily. The one that fell down yesterday split open, and the inside looks neon yellow:

http://i.imgur.com/uwDvmpL.jpg

There has also been this spongy, beige colored growth about halfway up the tree for a long time now:

http://i.imgur.com/c5B0yEA.jpg

Any ideas? I am assuming some kind of fungus, but couldn't find much when i searched for the yellow tree branch online.
 
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Old 11-03-14, 07:04 AM
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Hopefully someone can give you advice on what to do, but just wanted to mention that the majority of larger, older trees all seem to be doing the same thing around here. I think that ice storm from last winter just did a lot of damage to a lot of trees, and it took it's toll on them.
 
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Old 11-03-14, 07:15 AM
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Trees have a life span just like any other living thing. Pretty sure thats an oak and based on the pics, likely it's at the end of that life. Sure, some can live hundreds of years under ideal conditions...but a suburban yard is not ideal.

Yes, it is a fungus...which lives on decaying matter.

I think it's probably time to put the old boy down. You could call an arborist, but it is probably too late.
 
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Old 11-03-14, 07:42 AM
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The limb on the ground fell because it was dead wood. My eyes aren't that good and couldn't tell much from the pic of the tree BUT if the tree is saved, you'd need to cut off all/any dead branches.
 
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Old 11-03-14, 08:00 AM
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just curious about the branch being so yellow on the inside. never saw anything like that before.
 
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Old 11-03-14, 08:04 AM
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Its a sign of internal disease/old age. I think it's a type of fungus as well. It changes the inner wood.
 
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Old 11-03-14, 08:21 AM
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It could very well be that the tree is simply old and near the end of its' lifespan. And sometimes trees in this stage of their life, regardless of how long they have survived, can suddenly fall. So, if it is possible that it could fall on a structure, I would contact a local tree expert for an analysis. On the other hand, and I am not an expert, but rather an old man who has paid a bit of attention to certain things along the way, individual limbs, just like entire trees, need water and sun to develop. So it seems that you may be seeing the "runts" of certain years limb litters, deprived of adequate water or sunlight by stronger limbs. We have a couple of Norway maples that I was going to cut down several years ago because of the number of dead branches that kept falling from them. But they had space, and weren't going to fall on anything, so I talked with one of the guys at the local nursery, who suggested that I try this. I trimmed the branches up from about 4 feet off the ground to about 12 feet, then went inside with a pole saw and cut out as many less developed limbs as I could reach. Prior to that time, I was picking up branches around them every time before mowing, but since then I have honestly picked up maybe 3 or 4 branches a year. In this case anyway, I am convinced that it was a matter of the trees having the energy to develop the limbs, but certain limbs themselves not having the energy to survive. Just an opinion, based on personal experience.
 
 

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