We have trunks but never travel. Some of Alaska's trees to look for. Alaska has a variety of trees ranging from the western hemlock and Sitka spruce in the coastal forests, to the birch and black spruce of the boreal forests. Of course, much of Alaska has no trees at all, but rather miles of rolling tundra, or is above timberline. Burls The sight of logs with burls in them is a common sight in Alaska.
Burls are round, woody growths that grow throughout the forests of Alaska.
They are most often found on northern spruce trees, although they may grow on birch or other trees. Burls are tumors which start out when the tree tissue is stimulated by fungi, insects, or bacteria to form a gall. The gall grows with the tree to become a tumor. The Burl grows each year along with the tree, and the growth rings inside the burl show that it grows faster than the tree. A tree may have one or more burls.