What the heck...

[Mike Cruz]

is growing on my Oak tree?!?!?!?!?!?!?!240453240452

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Alien?:eek:

[Chris Kennedy]

Heck if I know.

Sorry . . . .

Chris

[Bruce Page]

Mike, it could be a new lower unit for a boat motor. Give it some time..

[Ted Calver]

Google Oak Gall or Oak Gall wasps...prolly them.

[curtis rosche]

taste it. tell us if you see anything

[ray hampton]

taste it. tell us if you see anything

You can not just eat one

[Mike Cruz]

While each of those responses got a giggle, Bruce took the cake! :D

I'm really curious what that is... though predictible SMC humor was/is much appreciated. ;)

[Mike Cruz]

I googled oak gall and nothing came close...

Seriously, anyone have an idea what this is?

[Dale Cruea]

Looks a lot like this one.

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/galls-oak

Figure 2. A gouty oak gall on a twig.

[Jim Rimmer]

Try this link and look at Figure 2 http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/galls-oak
I googled growth on Oak tree limbs

[Jay Jolliffe]

Send a pic to Penn State

[Mike Cruz]

Funny, Dale and Jim, you referenced the same gall. Maybe that's it! Jay, I took your advice and just emailed Penn State. Thanks.

[ray hampton]

do they use oak galls to make ink ?

[Ryan Mooney]

do they use oak galls to make ink ?

Yes and wool/leather/whatever dye. Basically they have a very high tannin content so you can react that with other things. In both of these cases most commonly iron/iron compounds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_gall_ink http://www.primitiveways.com/black_dye.html

[Mike Cruz]

While a neat idea, I don't think I'm going through THAT process to utilize this gall, though...:D

[Ole Anderson]

Try posting your pic on arboristsite dot com under the homeowner's section.

[Mike Cruz]

Probably a good place to ask, Ole, but I'm not interested in joining the forum, and that is the only way to post there. Understandably, of course, but still... Thanks, though. Waiting to hear back from Penn State, though nothing yet...

[Bruce Page]

Mike, now that we ruled out the motor thing.. I’m just curious, is it soft & squishy like a gummy bear or is it hard & brittle like a pine cone?

[Mike Cruz]

Bruce, it is hard! Now, the "cells" move a bit individually, but each is hard. When I say that they move, I mean that when I squeezed them to see if they were hard or soft (grapping the gall as a whole/unit) the indidual cells were not necessarily "bonded" except for at their bases. Hope that description was helpful.

[Danny Hamsley]

It is an insect gall. Not sure which one.

[Ole Anderson]

I posted this pic on arboristsite dot com and got these two responses:

cynpid wasp gall. Nice example! http://www.arboristsite.com/images/smilies/clap.gif

Yes, some kind of gall on swamp white oak. Never saw that gall myself but it the same that showed up here --> Biltmore CC Golf Maintenance: Fairway Expansions (http://biltmoreturf.blogspot.com/2012/08/fairway-expansions.html)

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks a million, Ole. I was going to ask you to post it, if you had a chance...but didn't want to impose. Thanks for doing it. I might print out an 8x10 of it and add it to the wall of pics of our property! Kinda purdy. :rolleyes: