I have a 35 year old healthy butternut tree; for the last two years it has produced nuts abundantly. Question: The main trunk is about 15 inches DBH; the lower limbs are 5-7 inches at their contact point. A curious feature of this tree is that at the axis, where limbs meet trunk, a hollow in formed on the colar, which collects a lot of water. This freezes and may damage the tree in the winter. Is this a normal growth pattern for butternuts? If not, I assume there is nothing I can or should do about it. Thanks for info. Fred Churchill
tha hollow is likely from an old pruning wound or damage from mother nature. Generally speaking the leave it alone method is suggested these days, in the past it may have been a drainage tube or fill the cavity with something fun like concrete.
JimmyQ:Thanks for prompt answer to my question about butternut growth pattern. Unfortunately your reply cannot be correct in this case. I planted the butternut as a young seedling;so I know the hollowed axil pattern of limb and trunk juncture is natural. All the lower limbs have this "valley" in the upper portion of the collar. Any other suggestions? FredC
P. Buikema: Thanks for reply. I have had a number of replies with the same diagnosis. As I told JimmyQ, I planted this tree as a seedling; so I know what has been pruned and not pruned. The "valleys" on the upper side of the collar can only be part of the tree's growth pattern. They extend to higher limbs, none of which have been pruned away. If these are not normal in butternuts, might there be a nutritional deficiency where the cambrium just above the limb does not grow? Fred C.
I'd suspect it is probably due to individual variation, rather than a trait of the species. The hollows will have a full covering of bark, so the water shouldn't affect the tree adversely. When the water freezes, the expansion to ice will just raise the level of the top of the water, it won't be constricted enough to press significantly against the tree. I'd not have any worries about it, just let the tree carry on as it is.