not so galling

There is something very zen about goldenrod galls. A fly decides to lay her eggs in the growing shoots of a goldenrod stem which totally disrupts its growth. But instead of giving up and wilting, the goldenrod builds a beautiful house around the larvae and then resumes its important work as if nothing had happened. The fly babies get a groovy custom built home, and the goldenrod apparently gets nothing in return. What a generous spirit goldenrod has.

goldenrod (Solidago) stems with ball galls caused by the larvae of the goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis).