Ganoderma zonatum

[TikiRick]

Many of you are not familiar, thankfully, with Ganoderma zonatum. This is tropical shelf fungi that grows on palms.

Athough there are many types of this fungi, this particular one attacks only palms.

It is apparent in the southern half of Florida moreso that the northern half, although it has been reported there as well on palms. In fact, it has been found in other southeastern states as well. It has been found in both landscape palms and palms in their native habitat.

In my garden, I inadvertently invited it by cutting numerous canes of Dypsis lutescens. When I bought my home in 2000, there was a mature thicket of Dypsis lutenscens, and I proceeded to cut out 75% of the stems. About 3 years later I noticed fronds yellowing prematurely on numerous trunks, and upon closer examination, I saw the fungi 'conks.' So, since there is no know cure, I simply cut those dying canes out, and removed the conks in a plastic bag, being careful to not spread the spores via cutting saw, wind, or mishandling. I knew it was just a matter of time to kill all of the remaining canes. Thirteen years later, I am down to only three canes left from about 20.

Unfortunately, a few hurricanes/tropical storms have broken off the canes of clustering palms (namely Ptychosperma) and I sawed it off to the ground, knowing this is a huge open wound. Sure enough, it wasn't long until the same symptoms appeared...even on the other side of the garden. I removed the entire cluster. I then dug into the ground as much as I could, but it was simply too rootbound. So, I then poured gasoline on the stumps and burned the stumps into the ground.

These are photos taken today, or ganoderma conks that still appear, even after 4 years without living material of palm present.

I now see it taking yet another Ptychosperma on the opposite side of the garden. Once again, I just hope it is a slow process.

You can not plant another palm in or near the infected site, since palms are the host and this is present in the soil.

I just hope that it never moves to any of my single genus, single trunked palms.

Dollar bill for scale to conks

I believe this may be another type of fungi on this nearby decaying trunk. It does not look similar in any way.

[TikiRick]

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp100

For further reading, please use this link regarding Ganoderma.

[palmislandRandy]

Yikes Rick. We just lost a 30 ft Roystonea at the entrance to my community from Ganoderma. I never noticed the conk until it fell into to the lake. We had a few 25 mph wind gusts & down it went. Here you can see the conk still attached & the damage just to the base.The rest of the palm showed no damage what so ever. On a positive note, it's one less palm to get whitefly

[Mandrew968]

This is way scarier than Fukushima!

[Eric in Orlando]

Ganoderma is bad news. There is a section here at Leu Gardens in the Palm Garden that has been infected for over 20 years, In the past we have lost numerous Syagrus, Butia, Acrocomia, Attalea and a Dypsis decaryi to it. The palms were healthy and there was no weedeating around them and they still acquired it. Since then this area has been converted to cycads, Araucarias and horsetails.

[Mandrew968]

  On 9/26/2013 at 1:40 PM, Eric in Orlando said:

Ganoderma is bad news. There is a section here at Leu Gardens in the Palm Garden that has been infected for over 20 years, In the past we have lost numerous Syagrus, Butia, Acrocomia, Attalea and a Dypsis decaryi to it. The palms were healthy and there was no weedeating around them and they still acquired it. Since then this area has been converted to cycads, Araucarias and horsetails.

How do cycads fair when it comes to this fungus? I guess I ignorantly figured all plants were susceptible...

[Eric in Orlando]

This Ganoderma only attacks palms, everything else is safe from it.