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lilcee
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Joined: Thu May 20, 2010 1:22 pm
Location: Florida

What is this on my tree?

We transplanted a sweet gum tree and it's starting to get leaves on it and looks good except for some kind of fungus or something on the branches. Will this harm our tree? How can we treat it?
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JONA
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Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

I think it’s scale insects illcee.
Either rub them off or paint with a brush dipped in methylated spirit.
The white coating is a wax protectant that they put out.

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lilcee
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Joined: Thu May 20, 2010 1:22 pm
Location: Florida

Thank you

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rainbowgardener
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You got good advice from our resident orchardist. If you aren't in England, methylated spirits is what we call rubbing alcohol.

thanrose
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Location: Jacksonville, FLZone 9A

STOP! This is perfectly normal for a sweet gum. It's a corky type of bark that you'll see more of as it matures. Not a disease or insect or anything to be worried about. I know there are other trees that do this, too, but can't at the moment think of one.

thanrose
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Oh, thought of a couple of trees with this corky growth on twigs and trunk: winged elm and other elms, and hackberry.

JONA
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Easy way to check...just use a small blade to remove one or two and check underneath the white coating.
Still looks like Magnolia scale to me.



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