Gruesome white slime on cotton silk tree

[Treeboggler]

Hi everyone!

I have a young cotton silk tree which I'm growing in a pot in the uk. The tree was moved indoors over winter to keep it happy, however it now has white slime on its stem/trunk. I can wipe the slime off with a wet cloth but it mysteriously comes back.

I suspect my house is haunted and the ghost is discharging ectoplasm on the tree. I also considered powdery mildew, however the white stuff isn't really "powdery".

If anyone knows what this is and how to get rid of it I'd be very grateful! Please see gruesome picture attached.

[nickdub]

Looks like it might be a fungus infection, though not one I'm familiar with. If it is and considering the age of the tree the chances are the plant's unlikely to recover. Possibly going back to the supplier and explaining what has happened might be worth it, depending on what it cost.

[Treeboggler]

Looks like it might be a fungus infection, though not one I'm familiar with. If it is and considering the age of the tree the chances are the plant's unlikely to recover. Possibly going back to the supplier and explaining what has happened might be worth it, depending on what it cost.

Thanks for your reply Nick!

I didn't buy the tree, I grew it from a seed found on holiday in Cyprus. Consequently I couldn't live with myself if it died, it's an irreplaceable member of the family.

Is there anything I can spray on the tree to kill the fungus? Preferably something I can make at home. I might as well try to save it 🙂

[Snoop Puss]

Have you looked up white slime and trees on the internet? I've had a look and some sites suggest it could actually resolve itself. But I think you'd want to compare your slime with theirs! Some suggest using an anti-fungal treatment, one even suggests splitting the bark open so that it dries, but that sounds a bit drastic to me...

Sadly, it looks as if the wood is shrinking a bit in the slimy area, and I imagine that's not a good sign.

It could actually have developed from a pruning wound, so I'd be careful if you're thinking of pruning it again this year.

[Jungle Jane]

Some trees exude a natural gum,I was looking around & wonder if it’s mocharasa?

[nickdub]

I 'm a bit hesitant to suggest the best course of action, as I'm no expert on fungus diseases and without actually seeing the plant, I might well be wrong as to what the problem is.

Suffice it to say that from what I think currently and if the plant was mine, I'd cut the top of below the white area and see what the wood/bark looked like on the cut surface. If it looked OK I'd bind the top up with some tape and bring the plant in side and hope for he best - if however there was discoloration in the wood, I'd cut again lower in the hope of chopping the diseased part out. Think of it as a surgical approach to medicine :-)

[Snoop Puss]

Not sure if these will be of any help>

White Mucus on Tree Bark | Home Guides | SF Gate

What Is the White Stuff Oozing From a Tree Trunk? | Home Guides | SF Gate

[Nicos]

I really have no idea about fungus, but the 'bark' where it's growing looks shrivelled and wrinkly compared to that on the right hand side of the picture.

[Nicos]

Just had a goooogle of the tree!
Looks really unusual-and pretty-no wonder you wanted to grow one from seed!

[Nicos]

The RHS do disease diagnosis.
Might be worth speaking with them and maybe they will look into it for you...piccies and swab perhaps?

I think you may need to be a member though?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/plant...dens/pathology

If you'd be heart broken to lose it then it'd be worth the expense of joining if you don't know someone who is already a member , and prepared to present it on your behalf?

[Jungle Jane]

The tree later grows thorns that are filled with a similar substance & used in medicine,I wouldn’t assume everything’s a fungal disease. My stagshorn sumac had some sap oozing out of it from a tiny injury,a lot of plants exude a gum,I wouldn’t cut it,it could make it worse,ask at a garden centre maybe.

[Jay22]

Yes if you check online it does say the stems do exude a gum discharge. Used in medicine seemingly?