It is a weird but wonderful place out there in the landscape. Take galls, for example. Galls are deformities found on the leaves, stems and flowers of trees, shrubs and other plants.
Plant galls come in a fascinating variety of strange forms, textures and colors. .
Some galls sport thick growths of fuzz, hair or spines. Gall formation is an equally bizarre biological puzzle. Galls result from an intricate interaction between two living organisms. Gall-makers, the organisms that initiate the process, are tiny, highly specialized wasps, flies, mites, aphids or microbes. Their attack on a host plant unleashes a unique response.