Silver Birch - Fungus on “extra” stump

Hello folks,
We have a lovely silver birch in our garden that at some point has had a trunk removed - see images.

Well, today I noticed that there is fungi growing on the chopped stump, I suspect it’s because that portion of the tree is rotting however I’m worried that it will cause issues with the tree. should I be worried, is there any action I should be taking?

I love spending time in the garden and this tree is our only one..

 

Such a shame. Betula pendula> Silver Birch do not require pruning etc. Partially due to the somewhat soft core of the tree, which possibly assists it in being so flexible in winds. Unfortunately cutting off limbs, twin trunks and cutting into any part larger than flimsey branches.

These subjects are slow healers, if in fact they ever heal. Bracket fungi especially Birch Polypor soon attacks and is non-stoppable. In the past aborist would paint over the cuts of trees with Arbrex. This has been abandoned.

In all honesty, I cannot offer a solution to save your tree. You could perhaps check for any self sown seedlings and grow them on. These grow fast. I have seen in the New Forest, where Silver Birch have fallen and in time new growth has sprung up, giving a line of new birches, due to a form of self layering. Hope this helps.

 

Hi Tom the tree

What you have there looks like Trametes gibbosa - a saprophytic fungus associated with the breakdown of dead woody tissue. In itself it is no cause for alarm and it is widely seen in woodlands and on stumps of felled trees. What is worth keeping in mind is that the decay of the dead stem is close to the butt of the healthy tree and may spread, in time. Unfortunately butt rot in trees is hard to ascertain without a sonograph mapping the dead vs. living tissue. Try to keep an eye on it, and if you're still concerned you'll need to get an arboricultural consultant to take a look.