Large, grey lumps

The grey, rock-hard tinder fungus, or hoof fungus, can be seen on standing and fallen tree trunks. It only grows on dead wood, so if you find it on a standing tree, then it is a sign that the tree is dying.

Tinder fungus always spreads horizontally out to the sides, like thick, deformed shelves, and you can use this characteristic for a bit of detective work when looking at a fallen tree trunk. All the fungi that are growing across the trunk, grew while the tree was still standing. If, however, the fungi are growing along the trunk, they emerged first after the tree fell. And if you can find a split or destroyed example of one of the new fungi, then you can also work out approximately when the tree fell. Tinder fungi grow in layers, with a new layer every year. A fungus with four layers has been growing for four years, and, therefore, it’s been at least four years since the tree fell.