How do knots form in giant trees?

A burl is formed as a last-ditch effort to save the tree's life after an injury or infection. A burl protects a tree like a scar. A burl can do more than seal off a wound like a scar. Redwoods use burls for self-defense like other trees, but redwood burls can actually sprout and create new redwood trees. read more

Knots are from branch formation. The main tree has wood going one way, and the branch has wood going the other nestled into the main tree. Cut the big tree into slabs, the branch penetrates those slabs and looks like the cross section of the branch, and is no longer attached. read more

Knots are common blemishes in trees, often causing lumps or holes within the trunk of the tree itself. In most cases knots are caused by the natural growth of the tree, though the specific circumstances under which they form determines how they will appear. read more