By Mace
Staffordshire,
United Kingdom 
We chopped down a large cooking apple tree roughly 5 years ago kept a tall trunk/stump and made a bird house for the top and kept the two clematis plants that used to grow through the tree.
Unfortunately this year I noticed white flattish fungi that is slightly wavy at the ends growing up the old bark. The base of the tree appears to be finally rotting but the clematis plants still seem to be happy as they are throwing out already just like any other year. I was hoping to try to keep the stump for another year or two before sawing in down completely.
Can anyone tell me if the fungi will be harmful to the clematis and all my other plants growing close by the trunk
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24 Nov, 2014
Answers
sounds like a bracket fungus, I've just posted a picture of some on a crab apple stump.
it wont do any harm to the clematis.
24 Nov, 2014
Many thanks to both of you for your replies. I was hoping to keep the stump for at least another year so I think I will as it still looks lovely with the clematis plants each year
27 Nov, 2014
It could be honey fungus terrible stuff it killed my blackberry, i now found it in my raspberrys
27 Nov, 2014
not if it is a bracket fungus Keimon. Honey fungus produces typical 'toadstools'. It can be a real problem however.
Yes I'd leave the stump just be aware as it rots it will become less stable.
27 Nov, 2014
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it shouldnt be.i mean look at the natural world,in this case the fungi rots down the stump meaning more space and extra nutriants for the clematis
24 Nov, 2014