“What is this thing on my plant?” is probably the question I get asked most often, as I play a sleuth on the radio on Saturday mornings. Radio is my favorite medium, but is the most difficult, with no visuals for such a fun, vibrant topic as gardening!
Once we’ve ruled out bugs, my brain goes to growths. Galls occur when the outer tissues of a plant swell. They’re like tumors, and they’re fascinating. Because they’re so diverse, the study of plant galls is known as cecidology.
Many are caused by insects, like parasitic wasps, while others are brought about by a virus or fungus. If spotted early, galls rarely have a major effect on the plant. They can just be plucked off and disposed of. How many of these have you ever seen?