Burl/Root Ball Definition Help

[JasonF]

I would like clarification on what to call wood from the root ball.

Wikipedia says:
"A burl (British "burr") is an outgrowth on a tree. Burls are often misunderstood. As it is the product of a cambium, it may not be compared to any phenomenon in animals or humans. A burl is a burl only if it is filled with small knots from dormant buds. The famous bird's-eye maple superficially resembles the wood of a burl but is something else entirely. Some say that burls are near knots but cannot have knots themselves"

The above definition seems to answer my question, but should wood from the root ball be called "root ball", or can it be called "burl"?

 

[DCBluesman]

You need to be careful in using Wikipedia as a source. The data is locally submitted and supposedly reviewed, but there is no guarantee of accuracy. As to what to call "root" or "root ball", there is no consistency. Thuya burl, for example, is most often the root of the thuya tree which is closely related to briar. Apple root ball is generally called just that.

 

[TellicoTurning]

My own personal definition of a burl, which is in and of itself probably erroneous.. is that the burl is caused by some external influence on the tree and is much like a tumor type growth... I don't think all trees will make burls. It generally makes for an irregular grain patter in the wood.

I would think that unless the root ball has in fact been subjected to the same type of outside influence, it would in fact be only the root ball. Often times the rootball wood is softer than the trunk wood, at least I know this to be true of the cotton wood. The Zuni indians used the cottonwood roots as the wood of choice for their cachina dolls.

My definition of a burl is my interpretation and not necesarily based in any fact.

 

[les-smith]

This might have some good info for you.

http://www.biostim.com.au/pdf/Woodpics-figure.pdf