Sculptures in the Woods
An old rotted
pine tree full of woodpecker holes caught my eye for this picture. It looked as
though it was adorned with a steeple of sorts…a design touch with a rustic
twist! A closer look revealed that it was the backbone of the old pine, or heartwood,
but it seemed to set this nesting spot apart from all the other ones. My own
picture made me wonder....what was that part of the pine tree called and how
was it formed?
There are many of these sculptures around in
the woods...a pine tree will die and rot away, and the center will remain
standing with twists and knots and gnarls...I always called it "wood
art" without much thought. I found
that they are the results of the pine resin in the tree. If a tree receives a
wound, the resin will rush to that spot to protect the scar. Resin also collects
in the heart, or center of the pine tree, and it resists decay.
Some folks call
it fatwood, stump candy, lighterd, lightern, lighter knot...many old time
names. I remember my Grandfather having a bucket of "lightern." He used it to start his fires, and it would
light with a match. I remember finding
stumps that he would chop up and save. Most chunks of lightern are sticky and smell
like crushed pine needles. They will light even when wet, and it has been a
valued firestarter as early as prehistoric times. I also read that too many
pieces in a wood stove can cause damage because of its extreme heat (something
I’m glad to know for the cabin!)
I always look for lightern on my walks. It
usually resembles stalagmites or little gnome hats! Most are found in stumps,
but evidently sometimes it will stretch up the tree, and I have found many that
are as tall as six feet.
In my readings about fatwood or lightern,
not every fallen pine tree will make lightern. Pine resin will become more of a
solid, and if the tree falls or is cut at a certain time of the year, or if the
ground soil is a certain acidity, and if the tree is just the right condition
and had the right amount of sap when it was living, it will leave lightern. In
other words, it doesn’t happen all the time!
Search fatwood.
There are many very interesting forums and stories about it out there. I do know, it is wonderful kindling... better
than those store bought wax logs, but I think I love their art work in the
woods even more!
