Weird tree roots/trunk

9 years ago

This isn't neccessarily a question, more like sharing an oddity I saw today. {{gwi:462895}} {{gwi:462896}} {{gwi:462898}} The pic is blurry, but it is a trunk on top, then I guess the bottom is roots and trunk all clustered together. I can get a better picture later, if needed. It is the weirdest thing I've seen in person.

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Comments (8)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
It's a burl, a protuberance or woody growth that can occur on just about any tree species. Can arise from a variety of causes - environmental stress, fungal or insect issues. Typically, the growth is hyper-stimulated and results in contorted grain that is isolated and contained. Burl wood can be extremely valuable and trees typically remain quite healthy despite the deformities.

I was in the Olympic Rainforest this past weekend and saw many trees with burls, some with multiple burls running all up their trunks.
poaky1
Original Author
9 years ago
I have seen them on trunks many times, but this is really odd to me, I just had to post the pic.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
could we have a redo on the second pic.. it looks really cool

ken
poaky1
Original Author
9 years ago
Sure, I went back today. I got all 4 sides too. {{gwi:462901}} {{gwi:462904}}{{gwi:462907}} {{gwi:462909}} Pretty cool huh?
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
9 years ago
Oh that is super neat!

My bet is a bit of mower damage encouraged some unusual growth.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
i have no clue.. but really appreciate you going back and getting the pix ...

it looks like a river back there????? in the first pic of the last bunch... wonder if it ever flooded in the trees history ... or even worse.. if they regraded the land so it wouldnt flood??? .. pure conjecture.. but its not uncommon to have parks in flood zones.. and weirder things have happened by burying a trunk to deep ...

ken
lucky_p
9 years ago
Crown gall, due to infection with Agrobacterium tumefaciens
poaky1
Original Author
9 years ago
To well..... everyone interested, the pond in the background is likely man made. It is in a cemetary. I need to loose some blubber and get in shape, so I've taken to walking in this cemetary. So going back so soon was no big deal. I walk there often. But anyhow I don't know what made it get all weird looking, that was likely before I was born. I was waiting for my friend who walks with me to show up one day, and I saw the tree. I was like what the ...... and I had my digital camera with me and took the first pics. I have also seen a "telephone poled" Pin oak, the tree has reached maturity, so likely, "newly telephone poled", but, I think it was at another place I take walks at, so that will likely be "another post".