Plant Galls: Beauty and the Beast 

You may have seen colorful, bumpy or fuzzy structures on leaves or stems and wondered what they were. Maybe you even recognized them as plant galls. But why are they there? How is it that insects and other organisms are able to control the growth of plants for their own benefit, creating often outlandish and colorful structures known as plant galls? Do galls hurt the plants? Should we try to control them? If so, how? The session will explore what plant galls are and showcase images of galls that you may see out on walks and hikes and even in your own garden and backyard. We’ll also talk about life inside the gall, the role of galls in controlling invasive species, and how galls are both beneficial and detrimental to humans.

1 CE credit