Ganoderma boninense has been identified as a ‘white rot’ pathogen that causes basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm. In spite of numerous reports on the severity of BSR and its effect on the oil palm industry, no single treatment has effectively tackled the problem. Most control measures have to date continued to give variable and inconsistent results. The current major drawback in combating BSR in oil palm is the lack of sufficient information on the defining mode of action of the fungus and its relationship with oil palm. To gain a deeper insight into the Ganoderma-oil palm interaction, we review here some of the current knowledge in both the physical infection process and the molecular consequences, with reference to general interactions of other pathogenic species towards their host plants.