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Tag: oak apple gall

Scrub Oak Gall

Scrub Oak Gall

I hope you had an opportunity to get out and enjoy the mild temperatures we had this weekend. During my typical winter walks, I tend to walk rather quickly in an effort to build up some heat and keep warm. But this weekend’s weather afforded me the opportunity to slow down (without fear of freezing) and explore the tiny winter world of lichens, mosses and galls. One abandoned fence post I came across seemed to have an entire miniature world…

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Oak apple gall

Oak apple gall

This time of year, with the leaves still absent, it’s hard not to notice the tan spheres attached to the ends of some oak branches.  These ball-like objects are oak apple galls, and can range in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter (approximately golf ball sized).  A “gall” is a general term for a plant deformity caused by an insect or a fungus.  These oak apple galls are caused by gall wasps in the family Cynipidae. Female wasps…

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