Big white splotch on pine bark

Q: Can you help me identify what might be going on with my tree? It isn’t a mushroom; the white splotches are up about five feet on the trunk. It also has a large hole/crack nearby.

A: The white stuff may not be something most people would characterize as a mushroom, but it is still the fruiting body of a fungus that is merrily decomposing the inside of your pine tree. It looks like the big crack was the initial site of invasion.

I don’t know where the wound came from. Could’ve been a lightning strike from several years ago.

In my view, this tree is a fall hazard. Hire a consulting ISA arborist to assess it fully.

see also
https://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-q-and-a/mushroom-at-base-of-tree/