Trees can grow all sorts of strange lumps on their trunks and roots. Determining which ones should cause concern and which are benign can be difficult. Considering that, what causes burls on trees?
We wouldn’t be surprised if you never heard of a burl before, but you’ve likely seen them already. You can diagnose a burl and maybe discover its cause using our certified arborist services in Alachua, FL.
What Are Burls?
Scientists and arborists believe a burl comes from a genetic mutation triggered by environmental stress. This growth abnormality appears on the tree’s trunk, base, or branches. It can look like a misshapen lump and often contains compact, dormant buds.
Burls, also known as burrs in British English, often appear because of some sort of tree injury. For example, they may form after a fungal infection or insect infestation due to hormone changes.
Are Burls Harmful?
Some burl formations can be an affront to the eyes, but other than that, no. Burls will not harm the tree; they are simply a neutral development.
Rather, many are beneficial. Several burls cover some sort of wound, like post-pruning injuries, and make the tree sturdier. You can think of it like the tree creating a malformed scar to mend broken skin or bone.
Burl Popularity
Burls form unique wood patterns that no one can replicate or propagate. The same discoloration that happens with scars also happens with burls, producing unique colors. Woodworkers have used burls to create fantastic works of art, including bowls, tables, and railings.
However, now knowing what causes burls on trees, you can see how removing them can be problematic.
Removing a burl can uncover and perhaps widen the wound that the burl was formed to protect. Without proper care, a de-burled tree can waste away and die.
Burls vs. Burrs
Sometimes burls are called burrs, but in American English, burrs mean something else entirely.
Where burls are misshapen scars, burr knots are malignant tumors. Instead of dormant buds, burr knots contain masses of cells trying to form into roots. These often grow on branches and trunks and are not known to be triggered by a tree injury.
Burr knots can create open wounds through which insects and fungi can infect or infest the tree. They can also weaken the tree’s structure and stunt its growth by redirecting nutrients to the burr. While more common on fruit trees, any tree can develop a burr knot.
Burl or Burr? Top Tier Tree Specialist Can Help
Since you now know what causes burls on trees and the difference between burls and burr knots, how can you tell the difference? That’s where Top Tier Tree Specialist comes in.
Our licensed and certified arborists have the knowledge and tools necessary to tell if your tree has a scar or a sickness. Among the several causes of tree death, misdiagnosing a burr knot doesn’t have to be one of them.
Do you have a tree that needs a second opinion in Alachua, FL? Contact Top Tier Tree Specialist for a free quote on our diagnostic services today.
