Lumps and Growths on Trees: What Do They Mean?

Kansas City Tree Care Experts Can Diagnose and Troubleshoot for You

Hidden by lush leaves in summer, tree lumps and growths may not be as visible as they are now that the leaves have fallen, and the bark is bare.

When these eyesores are revealed, it’s best to call a tree arborist near you to take care of it, to help keep your trees healthy and growing or to potentially prevent spreading the cause to your other trees.

There are three main types of growths that you may see on your trees, some of which may require help from a professional from Arb Tech in Kansas City to diagnose and treat.

Galls

An unusual lump on your tree may be a gall. They appear on leaves, twigs, and branches, ranging in size from tiny bumps to massive growths that are hard to miss. Some are uniquely conical in shape. The way they look depends on what causes them, but they’re most commonly formed by insect feeding or egg laying and appear red, green, yellow, or black in color.

Certain insects are able to stimulate the growth of plant tissue where they lay their eggs or house their larvae, and the gall develops to protect and feed them, more or less “against the tree’s will.” Gall agelids, an insect gall, weakens the tree.

Crown gall, however, is caused by bacteria in the soil and can affect more than 600 plant species. The gall forms on the roots and stems, underground, where you may never notice, until the tree has grown enough that the disfiguration is more obvious and the tree’s growth is stunted.

Galls tend not to do much harm to the tree, but they’re not very attractive to look at, which is why many people opt to call an arborist to take care of them. However, particularly heavy pest infestations could cause branches to die and affect the overall health of your tree. This may necessitate removing the gall and pruning, bracing, or cabling of your tree to protect it from further damage or illness.

If you suspect your tree has formed a gall, contact a certified arborist for diagnosis, and, if necessary, treatment.

Burls

Burls are identifiable by their appearance: a large, knobby growth on a tree trunk or branch, developed as a protective response to tree disease, and covered in bark. They’re not inherently harmful to the tree, but they are thought to reduce a tree’s vigor - although not as much as a rampant disease would.

In the greater Kansas City area, we often see burls growing on tree species including redwood, cherry, oak, ash, elm, and walnut, although maple is one of the most common.

Inside burls, woodworkers can find an unusual and particularly beautiful grain pattern, making these nonmalignant tree growths actually quite valuable to artisans.

Fungus

When fungal spores come in contact with a susceptible tree, they grow and feed on it. A certified arborist can identify the fungus type to determine how to best treat your tree, if it is necessary.

It can be hard to determine whether your tree’s issue is fungal, especially because not every type of fungus is visible above ground, and not all fungi look like you’d expect. The first sign you notice may be wilting or discolored leaves.

Fungal diseases are categorized based on type: root rot, cankers, foliar/shoot, and wilts. Cankers, specifically, can appear as a growth on your tree after fungus enters through a wound in the bark. Improper pruning increases the risk of your tree developing cankers, which is why we always recommend calling in a professional to prune.

Cankers can even “bleed,” or ooze fluid, or appear as a dry, dusty coating on your tree. They can be hard to spot, as some don’t deform the bark much at all. It takes a sharp eye to see them.

Who to Call for Tree Care

Once lumps and growths are noticeable, it’s definitely time to contact a certified arborist at Arb Tech for professional advice.

When you schedule an appointment with us, we’ll send out a crew to your property with all our specialty equipment, prepared for anything. Our arborists, who are experts at tree care, will diagnose your tree and recommend treatment to keep it healthy and growing, if necessary. We also can take care of any tree pruning, cabling, and other maintenance while we’re there.

An Arb Tech tree is a healthy tree! Request an appointment online, or give us a call at (913) 954-7004.