Witches’ Brooms in Our Forests. A Bad Sign for Some

As reported by Nadleśnictwo Bolesławiec:

While walking through the forest and looking up into the tree crowns, you have surely noticed strange formations of branches more than once; these are so-called #WitchesBrooms.

Foresters explain:

They occur mainly on pines, spruces, birches and firs. They are often caused by fungal infections, which lead to the growth of shoots perpendicular to the main shoot (creating their distinctive appearance). Witches’ brooms can also be caused by mutations in the meristematic tissue of shoots or by phytoplasmas.

They also add:

In the past, people believed in the magical power of witches’ brooms, whereas for the lady on the issue it was supposedly a bad sign.