A burl is a bulbous outgrowth that protrudes out of a tree trunk or branch. While callus-like from the outside, the inside of burls showcase a beautiful display of swirls, folds, and billows. Because no burl cut is like another, they make for a unique and coveted material for furniture.
How Do Burls Form?
In response to stress, a tree will form a collection of callus tissue called a burl. Pruning, fungus, disease, injury, or insect damage are common catalysts for burl formation. To seal off a pruning cut for example, a tree will roll over and close in on the edges of the “wound” as a protective response. Storms also cause eroding and depositing of soil around the tree’s base, inciting burls around its trunk.
As time progresses, the burl takes in the tree’s undeveloped buds around the abrasion. The bud tissue folds into the initial burl, expanding outwards to form an area of swelling bark. Burls grow at a faster rate than other tree cells and develop into unpredictable sizes and shapes. The result is an irregular, rounded lump with a rough, woody surface.
Ultimately, trees form burls to promote growth and preservation. If a tree falls, a sapling can sprout and grow from a burl, conserving the tree’s genetic material.
What Makes Burl Wood Furniture Valuable?
Wood crafters saw into burls to reveal complex, unpredictable, and completely one-of-a-kind patterns. Cutting in different directions across a burl will result in entirely different wood grain designs. Depending on the age of a burl growth, they can display vastly different grain patterns—straight, curling, lacy, or small and tightly packed. Burls also have a range of coloration. Because burls can’t be mimicked or manufactured, they’re rare. As a result, they’re quite pricey.
Through skillful wood working, furniture makers construct beautiful burl wood coffee tables, desks, and bed frames. They also incorporate burl wood accents into lighting, sofas, and seating.
Lead image design by Ware Porter / Photo by David Hilegas
