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What is this clump growth on spruce trees?

Started by HemlockKing, March 06, 2021, 05:35:14 AM

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HemlockKing

Hello all, I'm weeding out junk on my wood lot and I have seen a big consistency with clump growth on spruce trees, I'm thinking it's probably a beetle or insect causing it but want to confirm here and see what I can do to prevent this(it's not good looking and they seem to get really heavy and lopside/strain the tree, waste of tree energy). I got some pictures and I will try to upload them.

Also my location is Nova Scotia.
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HemlockKing

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Jeff

Witches broom. I think they are cool and love to find them on woods hikes.

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The Witch's Broom Tree - YouTube
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HemlockKing

Quote from: Jeff on March 06, 2021, 07:33:41 AM
Witches broom. I think they are cool and love to find them on woods hikes.

They are supposed to go to the gallery. You then put them in the post using tags.  Put your gallery photo address between photo tags

The Witch's Broom Tree - YouTube
Thanks Jeff, I agree they can look good on some trees, but I generally find them unpleasing to look at, I have a lot of trees with clumps all around and just die back of any good branches. The clumps can get really heavy and must most definitely take up a lot of resources from the tree(a 50lb clump of unproductive mess),  it's almost rare to come across a mature tree without atleast one or two. Now that I have the name for it I am going to do some more searching on google.
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barbender

It's usually a type of mistletoe that cause that.
Too many irons in the fire

HemlockKing

Quote from: barbender on March 06, 2021, 08:41:52 AM
It's usually a type of mistletoe that cause that.
I've been doing some reading over the last bit and my findings are that it is indeed a "mistletoe";Eastern Spruce Dwarf Mistletoe, it's a parasitic plant that lives within the canopy of the tree it's whole life and roots into the branches and twigs and robs the tree of water and nutrients, according to the research I found it prefers black spruce but will attack all spruce and even balsam fir. Here is a link for more info:https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/dwarf-mistletoe
They are plentiful in my woodlot and it looks like I have a lot of pruning to do to try to control this parasitic plant, some trees are fully enriched with bundles of these things and any good branches are dead. 
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SwampDonkey

"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

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2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))


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