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Witch's broom
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Posted by naturegirl_2007 5b SW Michigan (My Page) on Sat, Oct 24, 09 at 21:15
| How can you determine if a broom is from a disease? Are all brooms of interest to grafters? Any tips on how to increase ones's chances of spotting brooms. Are any particular environmental conditions more likely to produce desirable brooms? Any links to good info about witch's brooms? They sound like a fun thing to search for during winter hikes but I know little about them. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Witch's broom
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| Yeah most all except the unhealthy ones where no scions whatsoever can be of value (you just know) or in rare cases you might still graft scionwood (the cutting) with healthy buds without needles. I can give you an definition from:
Rushforth, Keith ‘Conifers’ (1987); First published in the United States in 1987 by Facts On File, Inc., 460 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10016; ISBN: 0-8160-1735-2.
witches broom: "The fasciated growths developed by many conifers in response to some causual agent., often making dwarf conifers if vegetatively propagated." Keep your eyes open at nurseries while viewing their stock, and walking around with binoculars and while enjoying driving. I heard recently beer helped a man find a broom. No kidding. Dax
P.s. There's a million Picea abies brooms that have been propagated, they are probably the least rare. |
RE: Witch's broom
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| Hi Dax, is it also familiar which percentage alcohol in this beer is the best for finding brooms? |
RE: Witch's broom
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| 7%-8% outta do you well. Over here we call these beer(s) "hair of the dog." Dax |
RE: Witch's broom Drinks
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| Over here but in Oregon and specifically Portland... I used to drink at a place that named their own brew "hair of the dog", I think it was near 12%. It was illegal for them to sell an individual a pitcher and I think they would only serve up 4 pints. Let me tell ya, at the 4 pint quick absorbtion level I felt like I was floating around somewhere in Disneyland. Same with Sweden. I was there for a while and they had some Elephant beer I remember. What was the name of that beer... anyone know? Elephant was in the title. Anyway, if it's poured into a glass, I've drunken it. Been many a time to the Heineken Brewery as well. And I drank out of a glass cowboy boot in Brussels Belgium. I've probably drunk out of Cowboy Boots too. Dax |
RE: Witch's broom
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How many brooms did found after drinking this dog and elephant beer?
Did you also found one in those boots to? |
RE: Witch's broom
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| naturegirl, here is a link to a blog discussing witches' brooms. Also, look for the link to wbgardens.com in the menu on the right. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Conifer blog
RE: Witch's broom
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| Searching for witch's brooms, sounds like good fun! I would be interested to find out what types of brooms you discover in SW Michigan. |
RE: Witch's broom
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| I once found a broom in a Pinus stobus at a local botanical garden. Unfortunately no alcohol was involved. Although right now I am drinking a nice merlot in belated celibration! |
RE: Witch's broom
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Is this broom propagated and does it have a name?
How many times a week do you celibrate this happening? |
RE: Witch's broom
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| Everytime I look at my witches' I ring a bell and a little monkey delivers me a beer. He lives in the woods. Dax |
RE: Witch's broom
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| With Halloween approaching, an afternoon off, and the first sunshine in days, I set out on a long hike today. It seemed like the perfect time to search for witch's broom. I found two trees with growths that look like brooms to me. A single Juniperus virginiana had three separate areas that had unusual growth. None of the other nearby ones had any growths like them. Also, a non-conifer, Amelanchier arborea, had what looked to be a dead broom. I almost walked right into it while bushwacking to look at another interesting tree. Probably would have missed it entirely if not for wanting to get closer to the other tree. I'll try to get a few photos I took of them posted soon and will see if you think they are the real thing. I also discovered a wetlands with some large Larix laricina. I had to be content to view them through binoculars since I won't risk hiking in wetlands like this one alone. Sure wish I could have gotten into a good position to photograph them while the branches were glowing with their fall colors. I was surprised to see needles were still on the trees and doubt they will be there when I hope to return next week. |
RE: Witch's broom
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| Nice work Naturegirl. It's very possible the Amelanchier had a broom. Deciduous trees are about the hardest to spot brooms on, however. You'll know if you find one. Next time you're viewing trees at a distance with your binoculars, you can stick your camera right up to the lens for a snap-shot. Good luck broom hunting! Dax |
RE: Witch's broom
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| coniferjoy I pointed it out to a couple gardeners working there and they gave me the deer in the headlights. No it isn't propagated yet. I finally found someone who told me they will be watching it.
...and BTW I try to celibrate once a week! |
RE: Witch's broom
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| So what do you think? Did I find brooms? Juniperus virginiana from a distance. Weird growth on right edge half way down that tends to blend in with the oaks in the background, also near the top on the left, and not really visible on the lower left bottom mostly covered by a small oak.
Lower Broom
Lower broom close up, normal growth on right
Middle right broom, some dead, some alive
Am I just seeing juvenile growth in odd spots or are these brooms? Since there are several growths on the one tree, do you think a pathogen is involved? Many other J. virginiana in the area were normal. Amelanchier arborea broom....this one looked to be mostly or all dead although the rest of the tree was healthy. Dax, thanks for the binocular info. Sound like a good way to document a view. I'll give it a try. I'd like to try to get a photo of the winterberry near the tamaracks, also. If my non-nature friends see me with a camera up by the binoculars they will be sure I'm crazy :) Too bad they miss out on so much joy. How do you get italics in a post. I cringe everytime my Latin names show up in normal print. |
RE: Witch's broom
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| That's a great broom. It's on it's way out so you should try to get propagations of what's left. Your Amelanchier broom is also quite nice. Call Gee Farms and ask for Gary Gee, he'll propagate any broom. Gary's done a lot of stuff for me in the past. Or, send an email to me and I'll take care of it for you but you'll need to send the healthy wood in the middle of winter or whenever Gary wants it. (Jan-mid-Feb most-likely). As I say, it's on the way out. It's also variegated and has juvenile-foliage. Very nice broom. I googled HTML codes 4 you: |
Here is a link that might be useful: HTML Codes See Below
RE: Witch's broom
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| " Thanks!!" Got the italics figured out now and maybe a few other fun nontraditional script things, also. Dax, I sent an email to the address listed on your GW page. I have a few questions in it. I'm assuming that "on the way out" means the broom is dying. Is that correct? The one on the center right looks like it's dying to me, but the other two seem okay. Do you see something in the third photo that makes you think the lower broom is dying? |
RE: Witch's broom
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| That's the spirit Dax, get it propagated and keep us informed! |
RE: Witch's broom
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| Hi, I've replied to your email. I didn't know there were more than one broom on the Juniperus.
I knew I was looking at a broom low to the ground, but I didn't make the connection. I/we shall keep everybody informed in due time. Dax |
RE: Witch's broom
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| Very nice! Thanks for the pics. Wonder what your non-nature friends will think when they see you head off into the woods with the pole pruners...! |
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