I have an fish cleaning table made from old pallets in the backyard and noticed this shelf type fungus growing out of it. Its not the first time I’ve seen it but I never knew how bad Ganoderma was for palms. When I look up images on the internet it sure does look like it…

Edited July 6, 20232 yr by D. Morrowii
Added picture

I think that is Ganoderma, but I doubt that is Ganoderma zonatum, the latter which infects live palms.  There are many species of Ganoderma, and their basidocarps (the visible "conks" that erupt from the substrate) look similar.  Given this presumed Ganoderma is growing on dead pine or hardwood, I doubt it represents a threat to nearby live palms.  If I have misunderstood your point or concern, then I apologize.

I don’t know if my eyes are deceiving me, but the wood also looks to be lacquered or  sealed with a coating. Which makes the presence of the fungus even more impressive.

 

1 hour ago, awkonradi said:

I think that is Ganoderma, but I doubt that is Ganoderma zonatum, the latter which infects live palms.  There are many species of Ganoderma, and their basidocarps (the visible "conks" that erupt from the substrate) look similar.  Given this presumed Ganoderma is growing on dead pine or hardwood, I doubt it represents a threat to nearby live palms.  If I have misunderstood your point or concern, then I apologize.

I was hoping that might be the case. Thank you. 

57 minutes ago, Hurricanepalms said:

I don’t know if my eyes are deceiving me, but the wood also looks to be lacquered or  sealed with a coating. Which makes the presence of the fungus even more impressive.

 

That wood was completely sealed with Varathane a couple of years ago but it has worn thin the few couple of months. Thats the same thing I thought too though. Was this fungus just sitting in there waiting for a hole in the sealer?!?

Oaks and pines get a different species of Ganoderma, and it's just as deadly to them.  But oaks get G. Lucidum or Applanatum, which does not affect palms.  That's why oak and pine mulch disintegrating around palms isn't a risk.

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Oaks and pines get a different species of Ganoderma, and it's just as deadly to them.  But oaks get G. Lucidum or Applanatum, which does not affect palms.  That's why oak and pine mulch disintegrating around palms isn't a risk.

I couldn’t tell if that was the case in my panicked internet skimming and half reading  web pages 🙂  I was just hoping since zonatum was only showing up on palms that this might be the way it works. Good to know thanks! 

I read there are approx. 300 species of Ganoderma. Many break down dead material, others can attack living trees. Only the one you mentioned goes after living palms. A couple years after fusiarum wilt killed my 7 large queens I found fungus conks on the remains of their stumps, which freaked me out. That’s when I learned more about Ganoderma. Eventually the stumps disintegrated and the conks went away. My living palms carried on with life.

The conk looks different from the ones I had that killed my 50' tall Roystonea regia.