Live Edge Wood Burls

 

 

 

Have you ever wondered what those crazy looking growths on trees are? Well, they’re called burls and they’re actually pretty interesting!

A burl is a growth of callus tissue formed on a tree normally in response to an environmental injury. These injuries could include but are not limited to, storm damage, disease, or insect damage. Burls grow at a rate faster than other tree cells and due to that reason, they can grow to substantially larger sizes. Though a lot of people see a burl and assume it’s a disease on the tree, they are far from that and are very beneficial for trees as they help preserve and aid a damaged area.

They may not sound or look exciting from the outside, but we assure you, what’s hiding on the inside of a burl is nothing short of magnificent. Unlike the more predictable grain in a straight lumber slab, the grain in a burl is the direct opposite, you will always have some type of unique figure and irregular pattern. This makes them a prized piece in the woodworking world.

A burl can form on any type of tree, however, there are certain species that tend to grow them more regularly.

 

 

These species are: (click each species to find our inventory):

• Maple and Big Leaf Maple
• Walnut
• Elm
• Oak

Did you know a burl can also form underground?

This type of burl is normally called a “Lignotuber”. They form around the trees base and roots underground. Lignotubers tend to grow much larger than a normal burl.  The largest known lignotubers are those of the Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) of central and northern California and extreme southwestern Oregon. Due their size, Redwood lignotubers are very sought after.

Berkshire Products prides itself on giving a second life to large trees that needed to be taken down. These trees are too large for conventional sawmills, so in the past they were often not utilized and just disposed of. We have several specially designed sawmills that allow us to saw these trees and burls.

Why tell you this? Because Burls may look weird and grow to become quite large, but they have little to no effect on the health of a tree. However, removing them will certainly affect a tree, and in a very negative way. When a branch is taken off a tree it can naturally close over the cut, but because a burl is made up of different response chemicals, a burl area will not heal. Instead, the tree will be left with an open wound that will attract pathogens and pests. So, unless there’s a reason to remove the entire tree, its best to leave the burls on the trees alone and admire them for what they are, a unique piece of nature!

Wondering where to find your next burl project? Visit our website to browse our available burls and live edge slabs! With an inventory that allows us to stay one of America’s largest suppliers of live edge slabs and burls searching can sometimes become overwhelming, thankfully we have a helpful staff that is only a phone call (413-229-7919) or email away!