Looks fungal to me.

a fungus.. one of natures decomposers.. breaking down dead wood ...

which leads to the real question... why does the tree.. which looks inches from your house.. have dead wood in the trunk???

i have never seen such growing on bark alone .... bet there is an old pruning wound under it ...

btw.. the blue things are harmless lichens ...

ken

Fungus, probably feeding on an old pruning wound as ken suggested. The fungus may be a sign of an even bigger more important problem.

Is breaking it off to look underneath in any way inadvisable? I'd probably put a mask on when I did it to avoid any hypocondria about pollen or fungi.

What kind of tree is it?

On the bottom left is that a branch coming up parallel right next to the main trunk?

If so, are there a lot of those?

Is it a crabapple tree?

Thanks all for your responses! Much appreciated.

I believe it's a cherry blossom tree. It bloomed beautifully back in late april early may. The branches have been hacked once by my dad a few years ago after a freak ice storm in May here in NJ, and hacked again by my landscaper.

Is the tree sick? Or could it be saved? I hate to cut it down, but if it could be a safety hazard or cause harm to the surrounding flower bed and lawn, I'll have it removed.

Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

The bark and leaves don't look like Cherry. Much more like apple (domestic or crab.)

Hi Paulina. I do not believe your tree is "sick" or that it needs any treatment at this time. Just relax and enjoy it. Should be good again next spring.