Above: (image cropped from photo contributed by SOLF)
[This post is part of a special guest series focused on appreciating nature in Southborough, contributed by the Southborough Open Land Foundation (SOLF), a non-profit dedicated to preserving and stewarding natural resources here in town.]
There is an odd mutation that grows on trees and shrubs, particularly conifers, known as “Witch’s Broom.” How does this happen? There are numerous causes; fungal, bacterial, viral, as well environmental ones. The mutation causes short, dense growth from a point the host plant. From a distance it looks like a furry animal or a large nest. It was given the name “Witch’s Broom” in Medieval Europe because of it resembles the end of a broom and led to the belief that a witch had stopped to rest at night in the tree. There are people who collect these odd mutations as a hobby and many of these have nurseries because If these mutant growths are genetically based, they can become a source of new varieties of miniature trees. Apparently, they can stress the host tree by draining nutrients.
For more information and photos, click here.
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Deborah Costine, Trustee
SOLF – Southborough Open Land Foundation
