Phost trees are similar to oaks, except their bark is quite shaggy and leaves are twice as broad as they are long. The wood of the phost gives off a soft glow when it has been dead for a year or so. This radiance is sufficient to light a 5-foot radius around a branch or rotting phostwood trunk. Rough handling or exposure to dampness hastens the rotting process, so that the wood will crumble away in a few months.