goldenrod ball gallmaker

one of my favorite winter sights is fields full of goldenrod stems, each with their own gall, sticking out from a white blanket of snow. the graphic absurdity of them make me smile.  just in case you’re not familiar with goldenrod galls, i hopped over to wiki to share a few factoids with you. because everyone should be familiar with goldenrod galls :-)

The goldenrod gall fly , also known as the goldenrod ball gallmaker, is a species of fly native to North America. The species is best known for the characteristic galls it forms on several species in the Solidago, or goldenrod, genus. The fly’s eggs are inserted near the developing buds of the plant. After hatching, the larvae migrate to an area below the plant’s developing buds, where they then induce the plant’s tissues to form into the hardened, bulbous chamber referred to as a gall.

goldenrod stems with galls