Sap is the universal
name for the fluid that plants use to transport
carbohydrates and sugars through their vascular
system. It is what we tap in the spring to make
maple syrup.
When you see beds of
amber or whitish colored sap being released through
the bark, there is probably a problem. A few trees
such as the cherries seem to release sap naturally.
However, in most cases, oozing sap is the sign of a
problem.
The cause of oozing
sap may be a natural process or it may be do to
mechanical damage, insect (borers) feeding, feeding
by woodpeckers or
sapsuckers or as the result of a
canker disease.
