Sakura Decay #photography

I don’t know why but this caught my eye. The cavity of a Sakura tree bark 🌲 filled with what appears to be some kind of fungus. Even though the tree appears to be rotting on the inside slowly, it still manages to bloom in the spring. I am not sure what causes these cavities but I will be right back after some research.

O.K. I am back, what we are seeing here is called wood decay disease and it begins with microscopic fungal strands carried by wind or insects. The wound may have been there before and then the fungi made it their home and started building shelf like structures. The decay pathogens overcomes the host plant and literally colonizes it, much like how viruses do to the human body. The fungi actually colonizes tissues essential for the trees function and structural support. It is a long process but in time, the tree dies. How fast they die depends on the type of tree and age. Another thing to note is that different fungi affect different trees.

_Source

camera: Canaon M50
Location: Tochigi Japan