Veon arboriculturalists spotted Turkey tail fungus (Trametes versicolor) on an oak (Quercus robur) tree during a Tree Survey in Co. Wicklow.
This fungus is generally considered saprophytic (feeds off dead wood) and is associated with selective white rot (where the compressively- strong lignin is preferred over the tensile-strong cellulose), resulting in a stringy, white, damp wood.
In this tree’s case, it seems as if the leading stem failed in the past, and the crack that was formed is providing a habitat for life in the forest, while the initial lateral branches are now upright and competing to be the next leader.
Never a dull moment in the woods!
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