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This is a fairly recent (last few weeks) development:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t2luwy7cuuss1c7/2020-07-18%2014.17.19.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pcj9g72eh5sh7ig/2020-07-18%2014.17.24.jpg

It appears to be a bracket/shelf fungus:

https://laidbackgardener.blog/2018/11/19/what-to-do-about-bracket-fungi/

From the link, it appears this has already been at work inside the tree for a while? You can see two trunks coming out of a common root area; there used to be three (the third trunk came down in a wind mmm...8? years ago). There were some of these shelf fungus eruptions on (I think this same trunk) about 5 years back, but not since.

What's the prognosis...anything that can be done to either slow or halt the intenral issues?

AA040371
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1 Answers1

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It is a bracket fungus, and it spells the death of your tree. That can take some time, but you say you noticed the fungus on the other trunk that broke during a wind, which means this has been going on for some time. As you've observed, the rot takes place inside the tree, and the bracket fungus appears some time later, as it progresses. There is nothing you can do to stop the fungus and decay, so the same will eventually happen with the rest of the tree. I suggest you have it removed rather than wait for it to fall on a person or a structure. Call an arborist (or tree surgeon) to confirm this/do the work.

UPDATE: There is no treatment available I'm afraid, more information here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=98

Bamboo
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  • I am still curious/searching/questioning. For instance, there’s a summer lawn disease call “brownspot” that’s caused by a fungus. But you spray it with a fungicide and…poof!..it’s all gone/all better. So wondering if tree can be treated, somehow. I suspect it isn’t feasible with tree since the heartwood is not actively being feed from root system. On the other hand, the sapwood is, and is in contact with heartwood at the border, and actually becomes the heartwood over time, so if it is “inoculated” with fungicide, it might slow or retard any eventual decay? – AA040371 Jul 19 '20 at 20:58
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    See updated answer – Bamboo Jul 20 '20 at 14:17
  • Yeah...I'm probably out of luck on this one. Thanks. – AA040371 Jul 20 '20 at 16:03