What is this?

[Alistair]

Does anyone know what this is? It's growing on the tip of a branch on a tree in my yard. It's more red than what the picture shows. I've never seen anything like it.

 

[luckynumbah7]

Well, can we have a general area? I'm assuming you're asking what kind've plant that is.

 

[Vannie]

Its a pepperoni tree

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

ooh - forgat

tinku

 

[Alistair]

Well, can we have a general area? I'm assuming you're asking what kind've plant that is.

I'm in northern Ohio. I think it's a fungus or something. It's on an oak tree.

 

[pat grimshaw]

It's a red artichoke.

 

[LittleDove]

Pine cone oak gall. Caused by wasps.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden..../galls/gouty-horned-and-other-twig-galls.aspx

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see pictures. Note the captions where it says it starts out red or pink.

 

[Alistair]

Pine cone oak gall. Caused by wasps.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden..../galls/gouty-horned-and-other-twig-galls.aspx

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see pictures. Note the captions where it says it starts out red or pink.

Thank you. I didn't have a clue that it was from wasps. I was searching fungus on Google

 

[Cormac135]

I was gonna say that as well.

 

[EddMarkStarr]

Geez, looks like something from a bad sci-Fi movie.

 

[Cormac135]

Geez, looks like something from a bad sci-Fi movie.

The beginning of this.

 

[72-Jay]

Pine cone oak gall. Caused by wasps.

Wasps Burn It

 

[Essex Boy]

I've heard of oak galls but it's the first time I've seen one. You can use it to make your own ink.

Iron gall ink contains three ingredients, plus water: oak galls, ferrous sulphate, and gum arabic. I used a 1770 recipe that calls for two ounces of crushed oak galls soaked overnight in one pint of water, then strained into one ounce of ferrous sulphate. One-half ounce of gum arabic is added, and the mixture stirred until it is dissolved.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_gall_ink

The United States Postal Service had its own official recipe that was to be used in all post office branches for the use of their customers. It was not until the invention of chemically-produced inks and writing fluids in the latter half of the 20th century that iron gall ink fell from common use.