Our Master Gardener columist Laura Simpson answers your gardening questions.
My 20-something-old redbud tree has developed lichens on the trunk, which is a first. Do I have a problem and is there anything I should do? I have another one in the yard which doesn’t have this problem.
When we see something weird growing on tree bark, it is usually algae, lichens, moss, or fungi . These can be gray, white, green, or even orange. Most of these organisms can be classified as epiphytes, or simply put, things that live on other things. Algae, moss, and lichens are more likely to appear on older trees due to their slower growth. Younger trees’ trunk diameter increases quickly during periods of rapid growth, so the epiphytes are still present but spread out and less obvious. In most cases, epiphytes are harmless. They live off material already present on bark or simply condensation and dust particles in the air. “Air plants” are epiphytes.
Sometimes their presence can indicate an adverse growing condition that should be corrected. Algae and moss grow where there is excessive moisture and inadequate light. Irrigation malfunctions or poor drainage can spell doom for a tree, so make sure these conditions are not present. Poor air circulation can cause increased humidity. Inadequate light might be a result of excessive shade cast by nearby plants that have grown too large or blocked sunlight from a wall or fence.
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