Mock Cherry tree - mushrooms - Ask Extension
My 30+ year old mock cherry tree was pruned a couple years ago (the company cut off more than I would have liked.) Now, I have some branches covered ...
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Mock Cherry tree - mushrooms #925502
Asked March 05, 2026, 11:16 PM EST
My 30+ year old mock cherry tree was pruned a couple years ago (the company cut off more than I would have liked.) Now, I have some branches covered with mushrooms (pictures). For the most part, those seem to be dead branches. Should I prune those off even more?
Thanks.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Yes, the fungal growth is emerging from dead wood, and all branches with that indication of decay should be removed. Whether there was already decay in progress that the tree trimmer didn't notice (and didn't remove at the time) or if their pruning job caused decay to set it, we can't tell, but wood with fungal growth like this cannot recover. (Don't confuse fungal decay growth with lichen, which is harmless and commonly grows on a wide variety of tree bark, but in this case, both of these photos show decay.) A certified arborist or licensed tree expert should be involved in major tree pruning so it's done in a way that resists decay and doesn't adversely affect the branch structure of the tree.
Miri
Miri
