Burl Thieves Busted in Boston...

[Chris Studley]

Check out these links...

We all wish we could get our hands on the various burls we see on standing trees, although we generally have the respect for the tree not to walk up to it and lop one off. Especially if they are not our trees.

Boston apparently has had a rash of burl theives. See Boston Globe Write up. (http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/10/03/vandals-gouge-highly-prized-burls-from-trees/u534FdGcrbBcFq6DmXBpIN/story.html)

As an Aside, I went to high school with the city arborist mentioned in the article, I didn't know until now. I will have to call him up and see if they need help getting rid of the burls

Well, I guess they busted the guy today See Here. (http://www.universalhub.com/2012/two-charged-burly-thieves) UPDATE: And Here w/ Video Interview (http://www.necn.com/10/03/12/1-arrested-for-cutting-stealing-tree-bur/landing.html?blockID=783499)

I thought this would be interesting.

[David DeCristoforo]

Not only was this moron extraordinarily inconsiderate of the damage he might be inflicting on the city's trees, he was too stupid to even steal burl the correct way. He left half the burl on the tree!

[Damon Stathatos]

Just for the record...I have not been to Boston in a few years and can completely substantiate my whereabouts during the complete period of said burl pilferage.

[Mike Cruz]

I have to admit that I've been tempted by the ones I see along walks and such. Oh, nobody would notice... But of the two little creatures sitting atop my shoulders the one in white wins every time... ;)

[Todd Burch]

"Arborists stumped...."

Someone won a pun contest with that one!


... Eaton said. He said he doubts the vandals are woodturners. “We have very high regard for trees.”

Eaton is living in La La land.

[Chris Studley]

I have to admit that I've been tempted by the ones I see along walks and such. Oh, nobody would notice... But of the two little creatures sitting atop my shoulders the one in white wins every time... ;)

I hear you... We all have the trees we pass on the way to work with that honkin' burl hanging on the side of it. We surely hope to be around that day if it has to come down, but would never do anything to hasten that day.

Worse still... Those burls are now evidence, and not going to something beautiful; those trees sacrificed for nothing.

[Damon Stathatos]

Not that I'd ever do it and I was just joking in my last post about not being anywhere in the Boston area during the burl pilferage...but what would exactly happen if you did cut a burl off ? Of any of the burls I've ever worked with, there's no sapwood just underneath the bark, the wood grain is pretty much nonexistent, and it appears to me on a very uninformed level that the burl is itself is like a tumor and not an integral or working component of the 'living' part of the tree. Unless you went too deep, into the 'tree wood,' and since you're not interrupting sapwood, what would the ultimate effects be on the tree ?

Again, not advocating defacing any trees, but would it really cause a tree a shortened lifespan ?

[Bill Boehme]

Not that I'd ever do it and I was just joking in my last post about not being anywhere in the Boston area during the burl pilferage...but what would exactly happen if you did cut a burl off ? Of any of the burls I've ever worked with, there's no sapwood just underneath the bark, the wood grain is pretty much nonexistent, and it appears to me on a very uninformed level that the burl is itself is like a tumor and not an integral or working component of the 'living' part of the tree. Unless you went too deep, into the 'tree wood,' and since you're not interrupting sapwood, what would the ultimate effects be on the tree ?

Again, not advocating defacing any trees, but would it really cause a tree a shortened lifespan ?

Whether it harmed the tree might vary in a case by case situation. There is much more to the potential consequences than just removing a part of the tree. It could wind up leading to decay or entry of pests. However, the more important factor is that the thief was taking something that didn't belong to him.

[Steve Schlumpf]

What an idiot! Glad they caught him! Hope they can protect the trees from disease!

[Mike Cruz]

Bill is right on two counts. Taking the burl off is exposing the rest of the tree to the elements. By taking off the burl, you have, effectively, taken off its protective layer against bugs, birds, and whatnot...the tree's bark is its skin. So, removing the burl creates a "wound". Over time, as long as the tree doesn't succumb to any of the things that could hurt it, yes the bark will/can regrow around it. But that takes a number of years.

Secondly, Bill is right that the important factor is that the thief took something that wasn't his. But I don't think Damon was contesting that. I think he was just talking about removing burls in general...even if it was on your own property.

[Damon Stathatos]

...Over time, as long as the tree doesn't succumb to any of the things that could hurt it, yes the bark will/can regrow around it. But that takes a number of years.

I wonder if the tree would regrow a burl ? Nut or fruit farmers or even plantation lumber growers could purposely start burls and then harvest them periodically? If that were an actual possibility, I think that leads to an interesting concept.

And thanks Mike, you're right that my questions are in a general sense...just trying to fill in a void of knowledge. I've always been intrigued with burls, how different the graining direction (or lack of uniform graining direction) is, the burl 'skin' of prickly bumps, even the difference in the bark itself, and how the tree seems to end up a mere 'host' to this whole process.

As for this guy in Boston hacking burls off...yes...a 'yutz' indeed.

[Bill Boehme]

My back yard adjoins a park and less than a hundred feet from my gate that allows me access to the park is a tree with a beautiful large burl. Just sayin'