Stupid wood question

L

lesoleilnoir

Joined
Jun 15, 2001
Messages
149
Alright,

Here it is, what part of the tree does burl come from? I'm thinking it is the roots, but I'm not sure.

I ask because a good friend is a landscaper and always removing trees around the neighboorhood. Some of the trees he digs up are woods that I have never seen be used such as Dogwood and Southern Magnolia.

Thanks,
Dan
 
From what I understand, a burl can come from either the roots (as in Thuya Burl) or from somewhere on the tree that is above ground.

Hope this helps.
 
A friend of mine runs a tree trimming and removal service. He told me that "burls" are actually a diseased part of the tree. If I remember correctly, they are usually a fungus growth that the tree will try to encapsulate. If you have aver seen a tree with an abnormal looking mound type of a growth (something resembling a blister) on the trunk or one of it's limbs, that is what he called a burl. This would explain why burls usually have to be stabilized, because they are usually very soft or porous in nature. hope this helps.

Rick
 
I have seen roots used as pitch forks. Also heard that the wood tends to be tougher that the above parts of the tree. Don't know if this is true or not. Other parts of the tree to keep an eye on are the forks of branches and any place the tree has been physically stressed. Places where the grain will have been forced to not grow straight. Chain link fences and vines are both good at this.

WS
 
Technically a "burl" is a growth that occurs on a tree where it has been injured and the subsequent disease which stresses it as insanity mentioned. Sort of like a healing patch. Being soft/porous really depends on the type of wood, I've carved walnut and madrone burls into bowls and it is often extememly tight grained and hard.

On the other hand what is often called burl walnut, maple, etc. often comes from either the bottom section from just above the ground to where it spreads out to make the roots or from a crotch where a limb takes off the trunk. I reckon that's why it is also known as crotch grain.

Here is a neat link to a place that sells various types of burls:
http://www.exoticburl.com/

Chuck
 
I was wondering this same question, a few months ago, and all the information I could find said basically that nobody is really sure what causes burls, the main theories are that they are caused by disease, or environmental damage, or a imbalance in hormones in certain parts of the plant. Most of the really big burls are root burls, they can grow to be the size of cars. They look like a wart like growth on the tree they can be anywhere from the but are most common on the roots and trunk of a tree, they can be found on branches. The wood from a burl is not neccessarily softer, but because it grows in a more random pattern it usually is more likely to crumble or fall apart. I could be wrong and their might be new information out now, but as of six months ago I could not find anyone or any particular source that could definately explain what causes a burl.
Kyle Fuglesten
 
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