I often find gooey blobs of stuff oozing out of the trunk of Black Cherry (Prunus serotina). Usually, there is just one blob here or there. Yesterday, I found a couple of trees that were oozing all over the place! Very strange. I’m not sure if they were living trees or dead.
When I got closer, I found one glob that had visitors – a seed on its parachute, and a bug… or maybe must the exoskeleton of a bug… You must click on this photo and go look at the larger version. It’s pretty cool. Reminded me of amber with ancient critters locked inside… But this one had escaped!
If anybody has any clues about why cherry trees do this and is the tree alive or dead? and… well… any information… I’d appreciate it!
Thanks!
A Passion for Nature 
Merry Christmas !!
The trees are alive and it looks as if you have found a tree with “GUMMOSIS”, according to :http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/article.phtml?cat=18&id=926 Apparently the genus Prunus responds this way to various injuries or infections with bacteria, insects, or what have you. In this case, the sap is in the form of a gum — but why or its function ?? who knows ??
Female
wingless moth.
Sp.?
Thanks to cestoady and Gerry… Now I have more things to learn about… Gummosis and wintermoths and cankerworms… Who would have thought there are moths that lay eggs in the middle of winter? I’m going to go back to this tree and look for eggs!
I chuckled imagining your interesting postures required for these shots–I often hope no one sees me attempting to be as small as small objects or almost falling in my pond!
Fungi have such beautifully subtle coloring.