So what's a Burl.  A Burl is a big roundish growth protrusion from the main trunk or larger branches.  The can be found on any tree but most often Walnut, Oak , Maple and Willow.

 

The Causes for Burls are varied but generally an external stress (such as a fungus, virus, bacteria, insect, or even something like frost) causes the tree's hormones to get out of whack and the tree continues to over produce vascular cambium and/or xylem cells in a local area and starts to create a bulge .

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Generally, the main issue with Burl's is that, as they get bigger, the tree will slowly lose the ability to transport  water and nutrients at the Burl location. Often this takes many years and, just as often, the tree will die from other causes before the Burl becomes a serious issue. Talk to an Arborist as to whether it is worth it to risk removing a burl.

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 Note: Burls are very sought after by wood turners as the unique patterns in the wood growth rings and stains make for desirable bowls, table accents among others.  Burls can go for $50 to almost $1,000  for on-line market places.

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