Believe that's white juniper fungus. Though is unusual to see it that solid.

Bostedo, thank you. That’s a definite identification. It didn’t seem to be harming this particular tree in a significant way, but looks can be deceiving.

Here’s an open grown specimen at Lost Maples:

And lining a trail at Garner SP:

Really cedar is the tree that people love to hate. There is so much contradictory info on them. When I bought my land , science and land restoration people were all saying that the land was supposed to be a grassland with live oaks. Cedar were sucking the water tables dry. We were all encouraged to cull them off our land. I started in one area and I watched my soil disappear. I quickly stopped and if I take a small tree down now, I leave it in peices to hold the soil. Just as the fallen branches would in a forrest. I was just up at a friends house who is a third generation rancher and he is proud that their is barely a cedar on his 300 acres. he and his mom looked at me all weird when I told them what I was hearing now in my lectures. Who knows what is correct. Now scientist have gone back into explorer explorer accounts and indian stories and found countless evidence of the cedars starting at the Balcones fault. The grassland were to the east of there. They have also found that when the trees get beyond their juvenile stage, their water consumption decreases, so it is just the cedar brake that is guilty of over consumption. I have heard all sorts of changing views. The land in a mature cedar forest holds 14 times the carbon that a mature grassland. Where do they come up with their stats. I am not a scientist. I do know that my woods are cool and wildlife loves them. That is good enough for me.

So did you enjoy your time in Central Texas?

People here in Central Texas like to diss this tree as a trash tree ....

I've always admired all their stately-to-gnarly variations and was a bit surprised to hear this sort of disfavor after landing in Austin. Though the males do blow an amazing amount of pollen "smoke"... so the bad rep is often aimed at that specific gender. Even in Dallas beyond the edge of their native distribution, we get solid dustings when the winds are right. I've never been bothered much, but would probably diss them as trash, too, if I got "cedar fever" as badly as some folks.

I love them when they get old enough to hang their bark and get twisty trunks. The birds pull on the bark for nesting materials . I am lucky that I do like them since I am surrounded by them.Cedar fever is only troublesome on passion. I missed it this year. I am out trimming forest during the season of cedar smoke. So , i should be in misery but I am not.

Oh yes, I enjoyed my time in Texas. I didn’t see the western third of the state or the gulf coast, but I saw much of the rest and enjoyed it all. Great beauty and amazing diversity all the way around.

I spent the last three weeks living amongst tall pines (taeda I believe), and the pollen covered everything below. I thought it was wonderful.

Here’s an overview from the East Trail at Lost Maples. The green you see in the distance is predominantly Ashe Juniper. I’d say they play a critical role.

The last time I was at Lost Maples, the armadillos were everywhere rustling amongst the rocks on that ridge trail. It was fall and the maples on the river were ablaze.

It must be quite a spectacle to see the Uvalde Bigtooth Maples (A. grandidentatum) wearing their fall colors. We stopped at a small winery just down the road and the proprietor told us that on weekends cars are backed up on the highway waiting to get in. I didn't see any armadillos, but they could've been under my nose without me seeing them.

Supposedly eating 3-5 "berries" per day of the cedar is the homeopathic way to overcome cedar allergy. Never known anyone to vouch for it. I've never been allergic to it.

I went there 30 years ago during the fall and then it wasn't crowded at all. I think we went during the week. WE are self employed and that was how we did our "weekends". All the state parks are crowded like that now. Enchanted Rock and Hamilton Pool are by reservation , I think. or you have to get u=p at two in the morning to drive out there to be first inline the next morning.