Key Features
- Black finger like protuberances
- Inside is white when cut
- Fingers may be gray or white in spring
Symptoms
Xylaria polymorpha is an opportunistic fungus that grows on dead wood, but will attack the stressed tree. It causes a soft rot that quickly damages and kills woody tissue and seems to prefer (but is not limited to!) maple, beech, oak, honey-locust, sassafras, elm, and apple. However, it is sometimes encountered just growing in mulch.
Biology
Morel hunters often find Xylaria polymorpha in early spring with a pale covering of spores. By summer, the fungus o blackens and resembles dead man's fingers.
Management Recommendations
There are no control methods available to manage this fungus.
Effective Pesticides
Pesticides are neither available nor recommended for managing this disease.
Resources
- Not satisfied with ID? Contact the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab
- Sign Up for the Purdue Landscape Report
