What Is a BURL? Why BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS and RINGS Go Together
NYT Connections — September 26, 2026 spoilers
A burl is a large rounded woody swelling that grows on a tree, usually on the trunk. When burl wood is cut, it can show distinctive swirling or irregular grain. In the September 26 Connections puzzle, BURL belongs with GRAIN, KNOTS and RINGS in FEATURES OF WOOD.
Published
The group is about wood features—not four kinds of trees or four kinds of timber.
Why now?
BURL appears with GRAIN, KNOTS and RINGS in the September 26 Connections group FEATURES OF WOOD.
What is a burl?
A burl is a rounded woody growth on a tree. University of Maryland Extension describes burls as large woody swellings, usually found on tree trunks. Burl wood is known for unusual grain patterns that can swirl around bud traces.
The exact cause of a burl is not always known. Not every bump on a tree is a burl, and BURL is not the name of a tree species.
Why do BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS and RINGS go together?
| Puzzle word | Meaning here | Easy misread |
|---|---|---|
| BURL | rounded woody growth and the unusual wood associated with it | not a tree species |
| GRAIN | the visible direction and pattern of wood fibers | not cereal grain |
| KNOTS | places where branches became enclosed by later trunk growth | not rope knots |
| RINGS | annual growth rings visible in wood | not jewelry |
All four can be seen in or associated with wood. That is the direct relationship the puzzle is using.
Is a burl the same as a knot?
No. A knot is the portion of a branch or limb that becomes surrounded by later growth of the tree stem. A burl is a larger rounded woody swelling with abnormal or highly irregular growth.
The two can both affect the appearance of wood, but they are not interchangeable terms.
Why is BURL the confusing word?
GRAIN, KNOTS and RINGS are common everyday wood terms. BURL is less familiar outside woodworking and tree care, so knowing the category name still may not tell a player what physical feature BURL refers to.
That is why this page answers both questions at once: what the object is and why the full group works.
Evidence
Sources
- New York Times — Connections puzzle data for September 26, 2026
- University of Maryland Extension — Burls
- USDA National Agricultural Library — Knots
- Cambridge Dictionary — Burl