02/28/2026
Certainly something you don’t see every day. I fact I think I can count the times I have found this trait on all my fingers. Yet this is a first ever for Douglas Fir. When I was younger I’d tie branch tips into knots, afterwards I leaned that this was a common habit with forest professionals. Anyway I kept seeing kinked limbs and weird k***s on this job. This tree though looked as if it was topped, when we removed it holy crap it was covered in ‘fasciation’… if I would have known I’d chain myself to the tree rather than remove it for more sun on the solar panels.
Such is life… “Fasciation is a rare, captivating plant mutation causing stems, flowers, or roots to grow in distorted, flattened, or ribbon-like shapes, often called “crested” or “cristate”. It results from a hormonal imbalance at the plant’s growing tip (apical meristem), triggered by genetic mutation, environmental stress, insects, or bacterial infection. While sometimes appearing bizarre or ugly, these unique growths are often prized for their aesthetic, coral-like appearance in gardens”
