Ever seen a mushroom at the base of a tree? Most likely you have. This is an all too common problem for trees that almost always results in death.
How does it happen? These particular fungi enter a tree’s root system only when disturbed and severed somehow. Ganoderma is a saprophytic fungus, which is to say it already exists in the soil, it just needs an open wound to enter the tree and infect. Once in the tree’s system the tree can live for an indeterminate amount of time and not show any symptoms. Or it could show signs of limb dieback, wilting and thinning. The last sign is the fungal conk or mushroom at the tree base letting you know the tree is infected.
Ganoderma is not a treatable fungus so removal is almost always recommended. Another option is to have a root excavation performed to see the extent of root dieback. This will tell the tree owner the extent of structural root damage and an approximate estimation of how soon removal needs to occur. Very early detection, caught early enough, could mitigate removal in some cases.
If you see a mushroom on your tree, call a certified arborist to inspect, as soon as possible for inspection.