Question
strange growths
Hi Jim,
i was hoping you would be able to give me some advice on my monkey puzzle tree.
at the base of the trunk are some unusual growths (see pics)
recently they have started oozeing a white resinous sap, there is some dieback in the crown, although that might be the tree naturally shedding branch's
i haven't found any evidence of fungus or rot at the base, but it's close to the house and if it's got some hideous disease, what control method there are if any
cheers Steve
cheers Steve lintell
AnswerThese are bacteria burls. Burl - an unusual growth on a tree that may be caused by a virus or bacteria, often resulting in a highly figured piece of wood.
Not a real problem to the health of the tree. In fact they are sought after by wood working folks for the unusuall grain they form in the wood. Thye will cause not structural problem or cause any health problem to the tree. There is nothing that can or should be done to rid the tree of this. The bacteria might be killed BUT the growths will contine for the life of the tree. It will not spread to other trees so I would just enjoy this unusual growth.
A burl begins life as a gall--a tumor on plant tissue caused by stimulation by fungi, insects, or bacteria. Evidently, only slight irritation to the bark causes a gall. The gall grows to become a burl--a massive, hemispherical or subglobose structure, sometimes very large in size. Once started, the burl grows with the tree, each year building a new growth ring that can be traced along to an unaffected part of the tree where it there appears as a normal growth ring. The growth rings inside the burl are spaced farther apart than the same rings elsewhere on the tree, showing that growth has proceeded most rapidly within the burl. Since the hardness of the wood is related to the rate of growth, the wood inside a rapidly growing burl is softer than the wood elsewhere in the tree. Nevertheless, it is hard enough to be sanded and finished into an attractive surface.
