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The secret life of goldenrod galls: Nature News

Galls are the plant's response to the organism's chemicals, which act like growth hormones, causing some sort of enlargement in the plant tissue, creating a home for the organism, and often serve as a source of nutrients. There are so many different types of galls — little wart-like maple leaf galls to those common spherical oak apple galls that look like green balloons with red spots erupting out of oak leaves this time of year.  What I love about them is imagining this tiny larva suspended in its dinner. What a life! Look for these on trees near you, but also, if you can, find a field of goldenrods and see how many galls you can find. 

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