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What are these weird growths on my black willow shrub?

I just noticed these strange growths all over the tips of the branches on my black willow. Anyone know what they are and what I should do about them?

Marty Unger asked in Trees & Shrubs 10 months ago | Report

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  • Subcultureoftwo_small
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    They are galls! Galls are caused when a female insect (variable species) lays her eggs in the leaf or stem of a plant. The plant responds by swelling around the eggs to protect itself, which suits the little larvae just fine...it forms a perfect nursery for them.

    Galls come in all shapes and sizes, from hard woody balls (zing!) on oak leaves to soft, purple berry-like growths on sage, to tiny hot pink pinpricks on maple leaves. Some of them have wild colors or strange hairs. It's neat.

    Check out the photos at the bottom of the Wikipedia page here:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gall

    You can break them off and destroy them if you want, but they won't spread or anything, and they won't do any lasting harm to your willow.

    Sacrelicious answered in Trees & Shrubs 10 months ago | Report
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  • Qlandav2ex_small
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    There are insects that attack the tender ends of branches of trees and shrubs like these such as the willow-branch borer, Oberea ferruginea, a beetle, and feed on the branches and cause deformities.

    It appears that this or a related species occurs here and so that may be the cause. I will defer to one of the tree experts or master gardeners to confirm or correct this and give you ideas on treatments.

    Russ Campbell, NWEBS answered in Trees & Shrubs 10 months ago | Report
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