"Some of these brooms are very expensive by the time we take all the money for gas, hotel rooms, and all this kind of stuff in to them."īrooms hunters often donate some of their haul to the American Conifer Society, where Gee said gardeners and other plant aficionados will bid up to $500 at the organization's annual auction for particularly unusual shrubs.ĭuluth botanist Josh Horky joined the collecting expedition in his wheelchair. "We'll never get rich at doing it, that's for sure," he said. But Gee said they do it for fun, and for the camaraderie. Many of the men own nurseries, and may eventually sell some plants created from these brooms. Braeu, owner of Edelweiss Nursery outside Duluth, has high hopes for this broom. Joe Braeu, who organized the weekend broom hunting expedition, quickly dubs this broom "Conehead," because of the profusion of pine cones.Ĭollectors assign each broom its own name, so no one else can come along, propagate it, and claim it as theirs. This time, rather than climbing, one of the "hunters" shoots the broom high out of a pine tree with a shotgun, and the others rush to pick up the pieces that fall to the ground. They were dubbed "witch's brooms" in Medieval Europe because it was believed witches placed them high in trees, and even rested in them.įarther up the road and deeper into the northern Minnesota woods, the group spots a couple more brooms high in trees. Each is the only one of its kind in the world. They look like balls of twigs woven together and can grow to several feet across. The term, which dates to the Middle Ages, refers to tree mutations made up of dense masses of shoots growing from a single point. You can, however, prune out the broom growth several inches (7.5 cm.) below the point of its formation, if desired.Hermsen and Larson are part of a tiny group of plant fanatics - they estimate they number about 200 nationwide - who traipse through forests collecting witch's brooms. There is currently no cure or treatment for witches’ broom. Witches’ broom can occur for several months to several years, and while it may be unsightly to some people, it really poses no serious threat to the tree or shrub affected. Some may be large, while others may appear quite small and less noticeable. There may be only one broom seen, or in some cases, there may be many. While needled trees, like pines, may consist of denser needles. It is best seen on deciduous trees or shrubs when they are not in leaf. Witches’ broom can be easily identified by the dense clusters of twigs or branches, which grow from a central source-resembling a broom. Aphids are generally to blame for these deformities in honeysuckle shrubs, while phytoplasmas lead to the disease in ash and elm trees. Mites can also be responsible for witches’ brooms in willow trees. Hackberry trees can get brooms as well, and these are normally caused by both fungus and mites. Peach trees and black locusts can be affected by viruses that can result in witches’ brooms. Fungal infections can also affect cherry trees and blackberry bushes, forming broom growth. For instance, pine brooms are commonly caused by rust fungus. Generally, the type of tree/shrub is a good indicator of its causal agent. Environmental factors may also be to blame, and some are caused by genetic mutations. In addition, parasitic plants like mistletoe, which cause stress to host trees, can lead to the formation of witches’ brooms. This includes anything from mites, aphids, and nematodes to fungi, viruses, and bacterial organisms (phytoplasmas). They’re actually caused by stress that is brought on by pests or diseases. Witches’ broom disease is not caused by witches, however. As brooms were once fashioned together from bundles of twigs and since witches were presumed to be responsible for anything unusual, these abnormalities became known as witches’ brooms. The stress results in a deformed mass of twigs and branches, which appear broom-like in appearance. This includes deciduous trees and shrubs as well as conifers and evergreen varieties. Witches’ broom is a symptom of stress found in woody plants, mainly trees, but it also affects shrubs as well. What are these and do they cause any harm? Keep reading to find out more about the signs and symptoms of witches’ broom disease. Ever seen those odd-looking, broom-like distortions in a tree? Perhaps it’s one of yours or in a tree nearby.
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