[NatureNS] re Hans' wildflower and other photos

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ok witches broom. I have a beautiful, just absolutely gorgeous fir tree out 
back that has suddenly a witch's broom and it is yellowing now. We were 
excited about the colour and shape of this tree and salvaged seed for a 
gentleman who grows Christmas trees, several years ago. Now is there a 
chance the seed is infected with this rust.
If I cut away the infected section that is all weird, then do I burn it or 
should the whole tree be destroyed? I see another fir out front is putting 
on strange 'fingery' growth instead of "normal tips'  that makes me think is 
it isn't as healthy as it appears to be.......colour is great but one 
these"fingers" are wrapping about the leader so far in one complete turn and 
I have to get up there with a ladder to untwist it I think. It grew too high 
for me to reach even with my rake.
Marg in White Point, Queens
http://margmillard.ca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>; "Nancy Nickerson" <nicknl@ns.sympatico.ca>; 
"Jim Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 3:27 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] re Hans' wildflower and other photos


 the "WITCH'S BROOM",
> calling it a "parasite" needs a bit of embellishment, I think -- a
> specific RUST FUNGUS has infected this balsam fir host, and the
> fungus, which indeed is a parasite, induces the deformed growth of
> dense branches we call a witch's broom, which then forms the fungus'
> spore-producing organs on the needles of these deformed growths, and
> the spores are shed (looking like pollen) at this time of year, in
> mid to late June -- most rust fungi also have complicated life cycles
> that alternate with a totally different but specific host plant, and
> perhaps Nancy Nickerson can tell us what it is in this case?  The
> witch's broom is a type of gall or deformed growth which I liken to
> having a benign cancer -- the damage to the plant is real and perhaps
> chronic but limited when compared to an uncontrolled type of cancer.
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
>

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