Brown root rot

• A 'stocking' forms on roots and tree trunk with a white margin when actively growing, turning cinnamon-brown with age.
• Not all infected trees display a stocking.
• Fruiting bodies only develop after extended periods of rain.
• Resupinate (upside-down) form is flat and grows flush with the bark.
• Bracket fruiting bodies are leathery or woody and hard.

East coast of Queensland to northern New South Wales including:

• rainforests
• commercial plantation forests
• fruit orchards
• amenity plantings in urban areas.

More than 200 species of native and introduced trees and shrubs including:

• palm
• fig
• poinciana
• leopard tree
• avocado
• hoop pine.

• In young trees, wilting is often followed by rapid death.
• In older trees, leaves gradually turn chlorotic (pale yellow and white), the crown thins and the tree eventually dies.

• Spreads by root-to-root contact, and potentially with air-borne basidiospores produced by fruiting bodies.
• Stumps from infected trees are sources of infection.
• Can remain in the soil for 60 years.

• Remove the entire infected tree and as many roots as possible, and:
  • compost for at least 16 weeks, so the piles reach 75ºC, and turn over regularly
  • sieve material greater than 18mm out of the final compost before using.
• Install root barriers around the infected site to reduce spreading.
• Don't use infected trees for mulch without composting as described above.
• New plantings in infested sites may rapidly die if you do not remove the source of the infection.

• If you have found brown root rot (Phellinus noxius) on council land contact your local council
• Contact our Customer Service Centre
• Phellinus noxius root rot fact sheet (PDF, 350KB)