Plant Answers  >  Oak Leaf Galls

Question: Recently I have had many Live Oak leaves to fall. This seems premature and I have noticed that many of these leaves have round things attached to the bottom of them. I have attached pictures of them. Can you tell me what they are?
Answer: These growths are galls which are common to Oaks and are most often found on the underside of the leaves but also appear on small twigs. They are spherical growths about the size of a small pea and are the result of a small wasp laying her egg in the leaf's tissue causing this abnormal growth to occur. They are basically harmless but may cause these leaves to fall earlier than normal. For more information on galls see the Extension article at:
http://extentopubs.tamu.edu/e-397.html
 

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