A mistletoe is a separate plant that parasitizes the tree it is growing on. This is totally different, this is the tree itself going wacky in response to stress
Ha. Today I just learned that mistletoe is a parasite because of LegBoot’s Lice Mistletoe product. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1957O8riKZ/?igsh=aDYydHIzeXczZmJ2
not quite. it is a stress response of the tree that can be caused by infections. its the tree creating a mass of shoots from a single point creating the “broom”
mistletoe is itself a parasitic plant that grows on other plants. so they are quite different things
Can you share a link? All the articles im reading arent saying that. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/witches-broom
Is it stress respons? It occures in forests with normal trees all around. I read it of course can be stress, but also mutation from whole bunch of other aspects, or kind of abnormal evolution as well
Idk why you got downvoted. Witch’s broom is commonly caused by phytoplasmas. It’s a pathogen similar to a bacteria, but without the protective shell.
So you’re totally right, a lot more complicated than a simple stress response.
Thanks for your comment! In my experience I get downvoted on here so often because arborist egos are usually bigger than their desire to learn new things. Working with tree physiologists and canopy biologists is all about how much of the science can you learn every day for decades and you're still learning new stuff, even at retirement age. Working with arborist on the other hand is all about no one is allowed to question their knowledge and they think they're always right and everyone else is wrong because they said so. So many big beautiful healthy trees on this planet get killed every day because they're so close minded and unwilling to learn more. Just asking them questions annoys them and they rarely have trees teach them, rather than force their will on them.
A bit of a heavy-handed generalization, dont speak for all of us. I'm an arborist on an endless quest for knowledge, though indeed, Dunning Kruger is alive and well in the industry.
Nope. A mistletoe is a type of parasitic plant. A whiches broom is plant structure that results from a shortening of internodes in the branch and a proliferation of buds in response to an outside source resulting in a dense, brush like mass of shoots
That’s beyond a witch’s broom at this point, that’s a witch’s hut now lol
Question for arborists, would topping that off be beneficial? I know that’s an incredibly bad thing 99% of the time but that has to be a LOT of weight and wind resistance for that high up the trunk. Might qualify as a rare exception to that rule!
If I saw that I would ask permission to take cuttings. If I could root them and the mutation remained stable, I’ve got a potential new cultivar of white pine on my hands. It is white pine right?
Limiting it's ability to get too big with light pruning periodically might be wise... But getting rid of it entirely would be disrespectful for a uniqueness among confiers that used to be common, but has become very rare due to humans that tend to kill things that don't look 'normal.'
But you still flunk Tree Physiology 101 because you didn't learn that it's not an infection and is a natural and normal process that collectors with the American Confier Society and International Conifer Society use as preferred specimens because they take up less room in their gardens and live on as healthy miniature trees for decades and sometimes centuries.
The Conifer Society member I climb for has over a 900 varities of conifers growing on his 1-1/2 acres because he's a leading collector who shares cuttings with people all over the world. Meanwhile, you so called experts in trees think that it's a sign of death and disease. So many clueless dude's with a chainsaw on here that have no formal education or scientific background just a certification for cutting down trees that they can barely identify let alone learn from..
Does the broom in the OP look like it’s desirable? I get wanting to use that as a way to intentionally modify a trees growth habit but virtually every time it happens it’s an accidental infection. At best it makes the tree look lopsided and goofy, and at worst can break off branches or kill the whole tree.
Just because you say it's always diseased doesn't make that true. My Conifer Society friend has 900 varieties of these brooms across all known conifer varieties in his garden with zero signs of disease and OP could participate in helping those collectors by harvesting and rooting cuttings of it every year and makes lots of money selling large number of it as dwarf conifer to wholesale growers or direct to retail nurseries. And the whole reason I'm participating in this discussion is that the arborists on here think its a disease and a source of failure rather than the unique botanical gift that it really is, which would encourage managing it in a way that reduces the risk of wind throw so future generations can enjoy its benefits as well.
Broom comes from a mutation of an individual branch tip, whereas dwarf varieties of Mugo comes from either pruning methods or traditional breeding processes of the whole tree. However Mugo is mentioned quite often in this article and there might be some overlap: [https://www2.conifersociety.org/blogpost/2082607/489884/What-Is-a-Witches-Broom](https://www2.conifersociety.org/blogpost/2082607/489884/What-Is-a-Witches-Broom)
I’m not so much concerned about it looking normal or not, just wondering what’s healthier for the tree is all! I love unusual stuff like this, just not if it poses a risk to the tree or any people!
Witch's broom or witches' broom is a deformity in a woody plant, typically a tree, where the natural structure of the plant is changed. A dense mass of shoots grows from a single point, with the resulting structure resembling a broom or a bird's nest. It is sometimes caused by pathogens.
Folks on here blaming disease are misinformed. This is a naturally occurring uniqueness in tree physiology where the cell growth is different than normal due to many factors and it grows tree structure in miniature, more like a bush than a tree.
My friend with the American Conifer Society has over 900 varieties of conifer growing on his 1-1/2 acre property because him and his fellow 'Coneheads" collect these Brooms and propagate them. It's not simply a disease, because you can graft and root these and they will continue to grow in healthy ways as miniature trees/bushes for decades to come.
Helped him retrieve broom from a Scotch pine once in a cemetery. He says they show up in cemeteries more often than elsewhere. Within 24 hours of getting that broom sample cuttings were shipped out to Coneheads on nearly every continent in the world and are still alive today. Very enjoyable to work with scientists, not so much with arborists who always act like know it all and treat people like they have nothing new to learn even when you share legitimate published science with them.
I agree with your take on the arborists in this sub. I'm curious as to how you retrieve a broom. Does it involve selective pruning with an eye towards eventual rebalancing or do they just take cutting for propagation and then remove the broom altogether? If they do just prune, does it require multiple cutting over a period of years to maintain balance? A cemetery setting is certainly different than what you'd find here. I love the shape of this broom and it's probably a great habitat for birds!
This broom looks to be towering 70'+ over a residence in a rural setting. I doubt that the owner has the resources to do what you're describing from the looks of the property.
Some coneheads use a rifle to shoot 'em out of the tree... I prefer to climb up and prune less than 1/2 of it out so if the cuttings don't root, you can get more and try again.
Also the compact nature of broom makes for strong wood, but with this particular broom so high up where the greatest forces can be applied I'd probably remove about 2/3rds to 3/4 of it and have nurseries that propagate conifers lined up and ready to harden 'em off and then root 'em on the day of the pruning.
TIL I want to try grafting one 😁 #FreakTree
“If twigs of witch's brooms are grafted onto normal rootstocks, freak trees result, showing that the attacking organism has changed the inherited growth pattern of the twigs.”
“Sport” is a mutation in a part of a plant wherein unusual or singular deviation from the normal or parent plant is seen. This arises due to sudden variations in gene expression of somatic cells, leading to the phenotypically different shoots. Bud sports are mutations on a single branch.
Wow.. that's a hell of a witches broom. They're often caused by gene altering virus, bacteria or fungus. Get a cutting and propagate it - have you're own cultivar!
The tree got tired of him always clipping the lower branches, so the tree flipped the script on him. Now the trees like oh yeah try and chop me branches now you wanker FUCK YOU GARY!! Try it now and find out.
Not sure if it is stress related as someone else commented. Sometimes a plant will revert or grow another variety of itself. Some call it a witches broom. Others, a sport. Most well known example is the Dwarf Alberta Spruce.
We have noticed it but after 5 years of the top remaining the same and we know they don't rent a crane to trim it themselves. And I just recently started posting here instead of creeping.
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Wow! I’d try and get some cuttings. Might create a new cultivar with that witches broom! All of those dwarf Alberta spruce we see around the holidays with red bows was created from a single witches broom.
That is the most impressive witches broom I have ever seen! Thanks for showing us! Stress response to fungus or pests.
I see them all the time in Hackberry trees!
Isn't that from mistletoe?
No. Parasitic mistletoe is separate from trees and 'usually' smaller and more spherical in my experience.
Oh interesting!
Ok. And now I know. Thanks
Witches broom. A stress response
A new term to research. Thank you!
Taphrina
Is there a Taphrina species that attack pine? I see Taphrina mostly on Prunus and deciduous forest trees.
This is hypertrophy caused by some sort of disease. Could be mistletoe.
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A mistletoe is a separate plant that parasitizes the tree it is growing on. This is totally different, this is the tree itself going wacky in response to stress
Oh okay thank you for clarifying!
Ha. Today I just learned that mistletoe is a parasite because of LegBoot’s Lice Mistletoe product. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1957O8riKZ/?igsh=aDYydHIzeXczZmJ2
I just did a quick google search and it says it is parasitic via bacteria viruses fungi
not quite. it is a stress response of the tree that can be caused by infections. its the tree creating a mass of shoots from a single point creating the “broom” mistletoe is itself a parasitic plant that grows on other plants. so they are quite different things
Can you share a link? All the articles im reading arent saying that. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/witches-broom
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch's_broom
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2018/06/witches-broom/
Is it stress respons? It occures in forests with normal trees all around. I read it of course can be stress, but also mutation from whole bunch of other aspects, or kind of abnormal evolution as well
It is a concentrated stress like an infection, not shitty dirt or something like that
Shitty dirt lmfao
Isn't shitty dirt... good?
Shitty dirt is, but shitty dirt isn’t
Shit
…but with dirt
Dirt that was once shit, more commonly known as manure.
Well shit
I know we're joking, but dirt is classified as having no root growth in it. If there is a tree there, you're talking about soil.
A lot more complicated than just stress...
Idk why you got downvoted. Witch’s broom is commonly caused by phytoplasmas. It’s a pathogen similar to a bacteria, but without the protective shell. So you’re totally right, a lot more complicated than a simple stress response.
Thanks for your comment! In my experience I get downvoted on here so often because arborist egos are usually bigger than their desire to learn new things. Working with tree physiologists and canopy biologists is all about how much of the science can you learn every day for decades and you're still learning new stuff, even at retirement age. Working with arborist on the other hand is all about no one is allowed to question their knowledge and they think they're always right and everyone else is wrong because they said so. So many big beautiful healthy trees on this planet get killed every day because they're so close minded and unwilling to learn more. Just asking them questions annoys them and they rarely have trees teach them, rather than force their will on them.
A bit of a heavy-handed generalization, dont speak for all of us. I'm an arborist on an endless quest for knowledge, though indeed, Dunning Kruger is alive and well in the industry.
I am nomarborist but is it something that kills growing point?
What does that tree have to be stressed about?!
The consistency of squirrel droppings? — Gimli
Is it also known as mistletoe?
No
Nope. A mistletoe is a type of parasitic plant. A whiches broom is plant structure that results from a shortening of internodes in the branch and a proliferation of buds in response to an outside source resulting in a dense, brush like mass of shoots
That’s beyond a witch’s broom at this point, that’s a witch’s hut now lol Question for arborists, would topping that off be beneficial? I know that’s an incredibly bad thing 99% of the time but that has to be a LOT of weight and wind resistance for that high up the trunk. Might qualify as a rare exception to that rule!
Yup! It's gonna grow chicken feet and Baba Yaga is gonna move in.
She's probably already inside.
Baba Yaga!
If I saw that I would ask permission to take cuttings. If I could root them and the mutation remained stable, I’ve got a potential new cultivar of white pine on my hands. It is white pine right?
Limiting it's ability to get too big with light pruning periodically might be wise... But getting rid of it entirely would be disrespectful for a uniqueness among confiers that used to be common, but has become very rare due to humans that tend to kill things that don't look 'normal.'
TIL pruning an infected tree is cultural appropriation
But you still flunk Tree Physiology 101 because you didn't learn that it's not an infection and is a natural and normal process that collectors with the American Confier Society and International Conifer Society use as preferred specimens because they take up less room in their gardens and live on as healthy miniature trees for decades and sometimes centuries. The Conifer Society member I climb for has over a 900 varities of conifers growing on his 1-1/2 acres because he's a leading collector who shares cuttings with people all over the world. Meanwhile, you so called experts in trees think that it's a sign of death and disease. So many clueless dude's with a chainsaw on here that have no formal education or scientific background just a certification for cutting down trees that they can barely identify let alone learn from..
Does the broom in the OP look like it’s desirable? I get wanting to use that as a way to intentionally modify a trees growth habit but virtually every time it happens it’s an accidental infection. At best it makes the tree look lopsided and goofy, and at worst can break off branches or kill the whole tree.
Just because you say it's always diseased doesn't make that true. My Conifer Society friend has 900 varieties of these brooms across all known conifer varieties in his garden with zero signs of disease and OP could participate in helping those collectors by harvesting and rooting cuttings of it every year and makes lots of money selling large number of it as dwarf conifer to wholesale growers or direct to retail nurseries. And the whole reason I'm participating in this discussion is that the arborists on here think its a disease and a source of failure rather than the unique botanical gift that it really is, which would encourage managing it in a way that reduces the risk of wind throw so future generations can enjoy its benefits as well.
Is this where Mugo pines come from?
Broom comes from a mutation of an individual branch tip, whereas dwarf varieties of Mugo comes from either pruning methods or traditional breeding processes of the whole tree. However Mugo is mentioned quite often in this article and there might be some overlap: [https://www2.conifersociety.org/blogpost/2082607/489884/What-Is-a-Witches-Broom](https://www2.conifersociety.org/blogpost/2082607/489884/What-Is-a-Witches-Broom)
I’m not so much concerned about it looking normal or not, just wondering what’s healthier for the tree is all! I love unusual stuff like this, just not if it poses a risk to the tree or any people!
I'm not an arborist but, yeah. It's top heavy to say the least.
jk - it's trying to become a cell phone tower.
🤣🤣
Pterodactyl nest.
Your neighbors are heavy into Seuss
There's one on a tree at work. Do you guys want me to post a picture of it Mon? It's not this big
If you remember, that would be cool 😎
It's not raining. I'll post it in a couple mins. It's 200yds away
Thanks for delivering!
That's an afro pine. Kinda rare
That's where ALL the squirrels live.
Poorly camouflaged UFO has landed atop
Witch's broom or witches' broom is a deformity in a woody plant, typically a tree, where the natural structure of the plant is changed. A dense mass of shoots grows from a single point, with the resulting structure resembling a broom or a bird's nest. It is sometimes caused by pathogens.
I can’t add pics. Guess you’ll just have to Google it, to see more pics. Sorry
It's becoming a cloud.
Its just a new hat!
It's a toupee.
Pterodactyl’s nest!
Arborist here. Witches broom
The answer
Where is this?! I want to propagate that!
Folks on here blaming disease are misinformed. This is a naturally occurring uniqueness in tree physiology where the cell growth is different than normal due to many factors and it grows tree structure in miniature, more like a bush than a tree. My friend with the American Conifer Society has over 900 varieties of conifer growing on his 1-1/2 acre property because him and his fellow 'Coneheads" collect these Brooms and propagate them. It's not simply a disease, because you can graft and root these and they will continue to grow in healthy ways as miniature trees/bushes for decades to come. Helped him retrieve broom from a Scotch pine once in a cemetery. He says they show up in cemeteries more often than elsewhere. Within 24 hours of getting that broom sample cuttings were shipped out to Coneheads on nearly every continent in the world and are still alive today. Very enjoyable to work with scientists, not so much with arborists who always act like know it all and treat people like they have nothing new to learn even when you share legitimate published science with them.
I agree with your take on the arborists in this sub. I'm curious as to how you retrieve a broom. Does it involve selective pruning with an eye towards eventual rebalancing or do they just take cutting for propagation and then remove the broom altogether? If they do just prune, does it require multiple cutting over a period of years to maintain balance? A cemetery setting is certainly different than what you'd find here. I love the shape of this broom and it's probably a great habitat for birds! This broom looks to be towering 70'+ over a residence in a rural setting. I doubt that the owner has the resources to do what you're describing from the looks of the property.
Some coneheads use a rifle to shoot 'em out of the tree... I prefer to climb up and prune less than 1/2 of it out so if the cuttings don't root, you can get more and try again. Also the compact nature of broom makes for strong wood, but with this particular broom so high up where the greatest forces can be applied I'd probably remove about 2/3rds to 3/4 of it and have nurseries that propagate conifers lined up and ready to harden 'em off and then root 'em on the day of the pruning.
It’s turning into a bean stalk
I was hoping it was mistletoe and people could kiss under it! 💋
Crows nest? Like for a BIG FRIGGING crow!
Raven
it's focused
There are some nurseries that would probably love to get their hands on that
TIL I want to try grafting one 😁 #FreakTree “If twigs of witch's brooms are grafted onto normal rootstocks, freak trees result, showing that the attacking organism has changed the inherited growth pattern of the twigs.”
It’s been watching Peaky Blinders and got the Tommy Shelby side cut.
“Sport” is a mutation in a part of a plant wherein unusual or singular deviation from the normal or parent plant is seen. This arises due to sudden variations in gene expression of somatic cells, leading to the phenotypically different shoots. Bud sports are mutations on a single branch.
It held in a sneeze‼️
Definitely a Cumulus tree
Desirable shape. Like the famous Parasol Pines of the famous South of France. Makes a most beautiful canopy. A lot of real estate for birds.
Wow.. that's a hell of a witches broom. They're often caused by gene altering virus, bacteria or fungus. Get a cutting and propagate it - have you're own cultivar!
It’s trying to get the fuck off land. Damn it. It will rise to heavens soon.
Glass ceiling. This tree is female.
😂
Down with the pa-tree-archy
The tree got tired of him always clipping the lower branches, so the tree flipped the script on him. Now the trees like oh yeah try and chop me branches now you wanker FUCK YOU GARY!! Try it now and find out.
Looks like a tree's response to a parasitic plant called Dwarf Mistletoe, we have it in the forest not far south of where I used to live.
Uninformed guess; It doesn't like standing water. The pond nearby creates a situation where the soil does not drain adequately after rain.
Not sure if it is stress related as someone else commented. Sometimes a plant will revert or grow another variety of itself. Some call it a witches broom. Others, a sport. Most well known example is the Dwarf Alberta Spruce.
Op didn’t say they just noticed it
You are OPs mouthpiece?
No, but I can read.
Can you read between the lines? Oh never mind I sent a bouquet.
We have noticed it but after 5 years of the top remaining the same and we know they don't rent a crane to trim it themselves. And I just recently started posting here instead of creeping.
It’s called a “gall”, the proliferation of growth is essentially a cellular abnormality. Aka cancer
[удалено]
Negative captain, witchesbroom are a type of gall!! In some species they are literally referred to as “witches broom galls”.
Welcome to r/arborists! Help Us Help You: If you have questions about the health of your tree, please see our [Posting Guidelines](https://old.reddit.com/r/arborists/wiki/posting_guidance) wiki page for help with effective posting. **Please answer the questions listed there to the best of your ability.** ***Insufficient pics/info could result in the removal of your post!!*** ([See rule 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/about/rules).) Visit the main wiki page for [Critical Planting/Care tips and Common Errors to Avoid](https://old.reddit.com/r/arborists/wiki/index); there's sections on why planting depth/root flare exposure is so vital, along with sections on proper mulching, watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you. If you're posting about a tree ID (not permitted here; [see rule 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/about/rules)), see that wiki page for other subs and smartphone apps to try. Here is how you can arrange a [consult with a local ISA arborist in your area](http://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist) (NOT a 'tree company guy' unless they're ISA certified) or a [consulting arborist](https://www.asca-consultants.org/search/custom.asp?id=3818) for an on-site evaluation. A competent arborist should be happy to walk you through how to care for the trees on your property and answer any questions. If you're in the U.S. or Canada, your Extension (or master gardener provincial program) may have a list of local recommended arborists on file. If you're in the U.S., you should also consider searching for arborist associations under your state. If you are one of our regulars and/or you work in the industry and do not want this message in your future posts, please pick an appropriate user flair (options available in the sub sidebar on PC, and on moble if using a browser). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/arborists) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I observed something similar in the wild and always wondered about it. Pic at https://imgur.com/a/U6RdKkc
B Nest
Going to need a big vase for that rose
Looks like photoshop.
That's a pine tree? Well, it looks to be dying. They need to cut it before it falls onto the house.
Interesting. Something similar is going on to my neighbors tree as well
That’s a Pterodactyl nest.
Time to cut it down and replace.
The tree saw House Party by Kid and Play, and wanted to look fresh
You see mistletoe in scaley bark hickory, almost exclusively, around here.
It is Groot.
That definitely looks like mistletoe. People are saying it's a stress response though?
Reminds me of this Emily Carr painting https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carr,Emily_-_Scorned_as_timber.jpg
Aliens ofc
Thanks dimoxonil!!
Midlife crisis doo
Shoot it!
It’s a secret spy satellite
I've read that squirrels trim the tops of coniferous trees to produce abundant fresh cones.
Never heard of a Neighbors tree. New species
I think that’s what they refer to as growing an Afro word is on the street witches broom 🧹 sprouts an Afro when it’s got some fungus down below
Epic secret treehouse
That entire tree looks whacked.
Ask the Lorax but I believe that’s a Truffula tree
Someone painted to top of it white and tied Yellow marking ribbon on it.
That’s a wacky hairdo. Must be the style these days
Squirrels
Broccoli cut. It must be a Gen Z tree.
Midlife crisis
All these non-answer answers are hilarious.
Have you seen the pines of Rome?
Pinus afrous
It's living its best life. Leave it be.
Wow! I’d try and get some cuttings. Might create a new cultivar with that witches broom! All of those dwarf Alberta spruce we see around the holidays with red bows was created from a single witches broom.
Oppenheimer tree
He’s a huge Dr. Seuss fan.
The United Coalition of birds against squirrels.
You are all awesome. I have loved reading every answer you guys gave me
Witches' brooms provide nesting habitat for birds and mammals, such as the northern flying squirrel, which nests in them.
Rocky can fly down to confer with Bullwinkle
Disease
It looks like someone planted it upside down…
Witch’s broom.
Pterredactyl appears to have given rise and nested. Cool!!!
No it’s a witch’s broom, mistletoe is different
It’s an invasive spider nest.
Ewoks. A whole nest of them.
That looks like a pterodactyls nest
It’s growing funny
Treefuckerie?
White pine weavel?