• Plant fungus acts as a parasite that harms the plant it grows on.bracket fungi image by Tom Curtis from Fotolia.com
  
  Plant fungus is a problem for any plant owner and is a leading cause of disease in gardens. Fungus robs the plant of vital nutrients as it grows and acts as a parasite that can kill the plant that it infests. There are many different types of plant fungi and their effects can vary but they can all be damaging to the infected plant. If you see signs of fungus infection on your plants, you should take immediate action.
  
  

Wilting Leaves

• One of the earliest signs of fungus beginning to grow on a plant is the wilting of the plant's leaves. Fungus interrupts a plant's photosynthetic process and prevents the plant from properly distributing nutrients to its branches and leaves. As the leaves do not receive needed nutrients over a period of time, the plant tissue begins to die; this results in the leaves changing color, typically turning brown, losing their firmness and wilting as they start to decompose.
  
  

Mildrew Covering

• Some types of fungus manifest as a powdery mildew that forms over the leaves and branches of the infected plant. The resulting residue can sometimes be confused for dust but the mildew appears as circular white spots that can be hard to see at first but become more prominent as the fungus grows. A microscope can be used to verify the presence of fungus and not simply dirt or dust. Mildew is more likely to be visible during weather periods of high humidity.
  
  

Honey Fungus

• Some fungi, such as honey fungus--a type of mushroom--cause a white growth to form between the bark and the wood of trees as well as mushroom growths that form around the base of the tree. The mushrooms infect the tree's root system and the fungus spreads underground. The mushrooms are typically brown or honey colored and appear briefly during the infection, typically during autumn months. The honey fungus typically has a strong odor.