Fungi drive so many of the positive and negative outcomes in tree health and viability, yet most tree assessments stop at a guess about what is growing on the trunk. I take it further. With over fifteen years studying fungal taxonomy and forest ecology, I identify the organism, explain the decay or disease it causes, and document it all in a fully cited written report you can rely on. Independent consulting arborist, no removal crews, no conflicts of interest.

Armillaria mellea, a wood decay and root rot pathogen, fruiting at the base of a tree

What the Report Includes

Every fungal pathology report I prepare is built around evidence, not assumption. You receive:

Identification of the organism, to species where the evidence allows
Microscopy of spores, hyphae, and other diagnostic structures
The type of decay or disease the organism causes and how it progresses
What that decay means for the tree's structure, health, and risk
Management options grounded in the biology of the specific organism
Citations to the mycological and arboricultural literature behind every conclusion

Microscopy and Identification

Many wood decay fungi and pathogens cannot be identified by eye. A photograph of a conk or a fruiting body is a starting point, not an answer. I take cross sections of affected tissue, mount representative samples in 10% KOH and in stains such as Lactophenol Blue and Cotton Red to bring out structure, and examine them under the microscope at magnifications up to 1000x.

I measure spores in micrometers and study the microscopic features that separate one species from another: spore shape, size, and ornamentation, the structure of the hyphae, and the form of the fruiting bodies. I then compare what I see against published descriptions to reach a confident identification, because the name of the organism determines everything that follows.

A Cryptoporus fruiting body sliced in half to reveal its internal pore surface

What a Finding Looks Like

Here is an excerpt from a recent palm report, with the client details removed:

Brown, oblong spores approximately 20 µm long and 8 µm wide, with apiculate ends, were observed in the fruiting structures. Based on spore morphology and comparison with published descriptions, the pathogen was identified as Cocoicola californica, a fungus associated with petiole blight of palms.

Microscopy of brown, oblong, apiculate Cocoicola californica spores at high magnification

When There Are No Fruiting Structures, I Culture

Sometimes the diagnostic structures simply are not present on the sample. When that happens, I culture necrotic tissue on Malt Dextrose Agar in sterile Petri dishes, incubate it, and identify the fungi that grow out, carefully separating the organism developing directly from the tissue from the airborne contaminants that land on a plate. In one maple case, culturing necrotic leaf segments revealed a Fusarium species growing straight from the inoculation sites, a vascular wilt pathogen that a field inspection alone would have missed.

A Fully Cited Report

Anyone can offer an opinion. I show my work. Every report ends with a Sources section citing the peer reviewed research, mycological references, and diagnostic resources that support the identification and the management recommendations. That matters when the report is going to a permit reviewer, an insurer, an attorney, or another arborist who wants to verify the reasoning. You are not asked to take my word for it. You are given the references to check it.

How the Report Is Organized

Every report follows the same clear structure:

Scope: the trees, the symptoms, and who collected the samples and when
Methods: how the tissue was examined, mounted, stained, or cultured
Findings: the microscopic evidence and the organism identified
Analysis: what the organism means in the context of the site and symptoms
Conclusion: a plain statement of the diagnosis and recommended next steps
Sources: the literature and references behind the conclusions

Why the Organism Matters for Risk

Not all wood decay is the same. Brown rot, white rot, and soft rot weaken wood in fundamentally different ways, and they progress at different rates. A tree with one kind of decay may stay sound for years, while a cavity of the same size caused by another organism can mean imminent failure. Correctly identifying the fungus is what separates a meaningful risk assessment from a guess. This is where a pathology report and a TRAQ tree risk assessment work together.

A large fir trunk bearing shelf conks, the fruiting bodies of internal wood decay fungi

Who This Service Is For

Homeowners who want to know what is really happening inside or beneath a valued tree
Consulting and practicing arborists who need a second set of eyes and a microscope on a tough diagnosis
Property managers and HOAs documenting tree health and risk
Attorneys and adjusters who need a defensible, cited diagnosis for a claim or dispute

For Fellow Arborists

Part of my work is helping other arborists understand fungi better, so we can all care for trees more responsibly. If you have a fruiting body you cannot place, an unusual decay pattern, or a diagnosis you want confirmed before it goes in a report, I am glad to take it on. Identifying fungal fruiting bodies correctly, understanding different decay mechanisms, and protecting mycorrhizal partnerships all lead to better outcomes for the trees we both serve.

Submit a Sample or Schedule a Site Visit

Call or text (530) 391-6100 or use the contact page to discuss your tree, a sample, or a diagnosis you need confirmed. I serve El Dorado, Sacramento, Placer, and Amador Counties, and I take on the right projects beyond that area.

Fungal Pathology and Lab Diagnostics