Bigleaf maple black bark and fungus - Ask Extension
What is this black bark and (old) fungus on this mature Bigleaf maple in Noti? The canopy is very mossy, healthy, and upright on forested property. Lo...
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Bigleaf maple black bark and fungus #926007
Asked March 13, 2026, 8:08 PM EDT
What is this black bark and (old) fungus on this mature Bigleaf maple in Noti? The canopy is very mossy, healthy, and upright on forested property. Lots of sapsucker activity and surrounding trunk wood is black. I have more pics that were too big to load.
Lane County Oregon
Expert Response
Thanks for your question.
This may be Brittle Cinder fungus (Kretzschmaria deusta). Bigleaf maples are considered susceptible. Here is some information from the Pacific Northwest Plant Disease Management handbook - https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/maple-acer-macrophyllum-brittle-decay
Th only way to identify it for sure would be to send in a sample to the Oregon State Plant Clinic (there is a fee involved). Here is a link to their site - https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic/submit-sample/services-and-fees
This may be Brittle Cinder fungus (Kretzschmaria deusta). Bigleaf maples are considered susceptible. Here is some information from the Pacific Northwest Plant Disease Management handbook - https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/maple-acer-macrophyllum-brittle-decay
Th only way to identify it for sure would be to send in a sample to the Oregon State Plant Clinic (there is a fee involved). Here is a link to their site - https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic/submit-sample/services-and-fees
