Honey fungus

A fatal fungal disease which causes the death of a wide range of woody plants, including conifers and herbaceous perennials. There are several forms of this fungus with Armillaria ostoyae being the most aggressive.

Affected plants can either undergo a slow decline of die quite quickly. Leaves are often smaller and paler in colour on infected plants, tree will often come into leaf later in the spring and shed their leaves earlier in the autumn. Large cracks in the bark of trees, with bark lifting away from the wood, exposing layers of white fungal growth. Golden yellow mushrooms in the soil around the base of the plant (usually an indication the host is about to die). Although mushrooms are produced some experts suggest that the main spread is by black threads of fungus Rhizomorphs growing through the soil (hence the common name ‘boot lace’ fungus), searching for new, live hosts.