How fungi with 'superpowers' are saving trees from a dismal fate

There are few sights more dismal than a stand of the wrong trees planted in the wrong place. When the mistake is realised, such misguided plantations can be virtually abandoned so that planned thinning does not take place, leaving behind sickly, etiolated mockeries of the majestic natural wonders that trees can be.

However, a Scottish company is now harnessing the “superpowers” of fungi to help prevent such failed endeavours. Rhizocore Technologies has developed a pellet containing fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with trees, helping their roots to thrive. When planted alongside saplings, they can apparently improve survival rates by 25 to 50 per cent.

READ MORE: Hundreds of prized trees lost at Scotland's heritage estates due to 'devastating' Storm Eowyn damage

The sadly lost Sycamore Gap tree showed how majestic they can be (Picture: English Heritage/Heritage Images) | Getty Images

Rhizocore is also collecting samples of fungi from around the world, with hopes that they could perhaps create the largest library of fungal specimens in the world. There are estimated to be up to three million species of fungi worldwide, but only about 10 per cent have been catalogued.

This raises the tantalising prospect of other fungal superpowers out there just waiting to be discovered. If they are so good for trees, what else can they do?