witch's broom
Sign in to saveAlso known as witches' brooms
deformity in a woody plant, typically a tree, where the natural structure of the plant is changed: a dense mass of shoots grows from a single point, with the resulting structure resembling a broom or a bird's nest; sometimes caused by pathogens
~2 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Witch's brooms on downy birch, caused by the fungus Taphrina betulina Witch's broom on a white pine Witch's broom in Yamaska National Park, Québec
Witch's broom or witches' broom is a deformity in a woody plant, typically a tree, where the natural structure of the plant is changed. A dense mass of shoots grows from a single point, with the resulting structure resembling a broom or a bird's nest. It is sometimes caused by pathogens.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “witch's broom” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.