The Gardener’s Corner: an anomaly of nature : Shelburne Free Press : https://shelburnefreepress.ca

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The Gardener’s Corner: an anomaly of nature

Have you noticed that some trees have funky growths on them? Wood burls are rounded outgrowths on the trunk or branch of a tree caused by the stress of an injury, virus or fungus. Often they will grow underground attached to the roots and not be discovered until the tree dies. Filled with small knots from dormant buds, they look like bumps or wart-like appendages as their growth is stimulated by the tree to isolate and contain the injury. Most wood burls are covered by bark, including the ones underground.

Trees that develop a wood burl can remain healthy and continue to grow unless the injury is in a vulnerable spot or becomes so large and heavy as to create additional stress and cause the tree to break apart.

Burls should not be removed from a living tree which will cause a huge open area for decay unless it is on a removable limb, and then proper pruning practices should be observed.

An anomaly of nature, burls yield a peculiar and rare grained wood sought after by wood carvers. They can be hollowed out to make bowls or to create sculptures for a whimsical touch in the garden.

If large enough, slices can be used for furniture, door inlays, picture frames and other household items. Burls can come from redwood, walnut, buckeye, maple, teak and other species.

Last summer a couple in Innisfil had an old and tall maple with a huge burl on it snap off in their front yard during a wind storm. The weight of the outgrowth was estimated at 400-500 pounds. A friend offered to work with the burl and make a planter stand from it. After over 100 man hours of debugging, bleaching, sanding and staining, a unique sculpture was created. The homeowners are very happy with the resulting focal point it adds to their front lawn and garden. They feel it resembles a Henry Moore piece with implanted images of animals, reptiles and gargoyles depending on an individual's interpretation.

Having the ability to envision something beautiful and useful made from a large woody outgrowth is a gratifying way to repurpose it. I'm glad I was contacted to share this story in my column and help others identify what a burl is. The maple trunk remains standing tall amongst the other trees on the property.

Visit my website at http://lavendercottagegardening.blogspot.com for more photos.

By Judith Rogers

Post date: 2013-08-08 11:18:29
Post date GMT: 2013-08-08 15:18:29
Post modified date: 2013-08-15 23:29:49
Post modified date GMT: 2013-08-16 03:29:49