A Gardeners Forum Forums Willy's Place The Further Misadventures of Wild Willy Episode #14.... Burls

These are burls growing on the side of a Western Hemlock tree... root burls are usually shaped differently having smaller bases where they connected to the root and then becoming elongated from that point.

<img src="http://www.thegardenhelper.com/park/05300032.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="live burls on a tree" border="0">

This was once a limb on an ancient growth Western Red Cedar tree.

<img src="http://www.thegardenhelper.com/park/05300036.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="a limb" border="0">

Cutting into the log shows the knot which was once the limb. The diameter of the knot decreases as you cut closer to the heart of the tree but if the limb had been removed from the tree when it was younger, the new growth of the trunk would eventually grow over the knot and you would have to cut deep enough into the log to reach the period of its life when the limb broke off before evidence of the limb could be found. If you look closely you'll see the circular growth rings. (not a great pix... sorry!)

<img src="http://www.thegardenhelper.com/park/05300039.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="a knot" border="0">

This is just a small sun bleached burl.
<img src="http://www.thegardenhelper.com/park/05300040.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="a burl" border="0">

Slicing through the burl reveals a myriad of swirls and patterns. It can then be sanded and polished and used for a lot of different things. If the piece was large enough for commercial use, it might be sawed and used as a table top, or possibly left in a steam vat for a week or two to soften the fiber, then sliced with very large, very sharp knives to a thickness (thinness?) as little as 1/20th of an inch, then laminated onto plywood or other surfaces.
<img src="http://www.thegardenhelper.com/park/05300042.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="a sliced burl" border="0">

<img src="http://www.thegardenhelper.com/park/05300045.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="burl" border="0">

Are you thoroughly confused now Karen?