Some dead twigs on our pear tree have been colonised by this coral spot fungus Nectria cinnabarina.
Coral spot is an interesting fungus because it exists in two forms. One is saprotrophic, only growing on dead twigs, but there's also a parasitic form that actively attacks and kills live plants that are already in a weakened state. I'm hoping it's the former rather than the latter, otherwise our pear tree's days are numbered.
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Never noticed this Phil. Maybe I have and thought it a lichen.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your tree but that's what happens when one clones plant for big pears. As a child we had a massive pear tree to climb it's fruit where the size of a cherry yet it's branches even up to thirty feet could support a herd of children.
I bought a sideways growing pear tree, had to tie it to the wall and then it died. Waste of time and money are big pears. Dry as dust are most of their fruits.
I will say it looks rather pretty with the colors, but if it is deadly, I hope for the best with your tree. Jack
ReplyDeleteIt's a pear called Concord, Adrian, and I think it's probably grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock. It has very large crops of pears that ripen late, so it produces a bit of a glut - good for making pear and ginger chutney, though. I know of another pear tree locally that's similar to the one you describe - as high as a house - but that one also produces very large crops of big pears which, sadly, are left to rot every year; a great shame..
ReplyDeleteI'll be sorry if it does die, Jack, because it produces the first blossom of spring, in great profusion ...
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