A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 what IS this?

There is an oak tree that grows in the conservation easement at the bottom of our property. I have never noticed these "balls" before, and this is the only branch that has any (3) of them growing. Anyone know what they are? Are they acorns in the making? I'm preeeeeettttty sure this is the oak tree - feeling rather foolish right now...

My first thought would be that the tree is a Sycamore If you scroll down you can see some pics of the fruits hanging down.

Hope this helped!

G-Mom

looks to me like a black walnut tree. I say that because we have them at the cabin, they grow naturally there. the nuts look like that and then they fall. Btw, if your under one they sure do hurt.

Leaf, twig and fruit point to sycamore. The dead give away is the bark. Compare from G-mom's link.

I took a picture of one of the leaves. It doesn't look the same to me as the sycamore leaves that I found in a google search.

Not looking like an oak now either.



Leaves do not look like black walnut either.
But thanks for the guesses guys!

That leaf does look like some kind of oak, but the fruits in the first picture look like sycamore. Can you get a picture of the trunk?

Could there be branches from 2 different trees intermingled in the first photos? Some of the leaves look like they could be sycamore and others look more like oak, but it's really hard to tell in those shots.

I pulled this leaf directly off the branch where these "balls" are growing. There isn't another tree that is mingling with these branches.

Strange, huh?

I'll try to get a picture of the trunk tomorrow. Right now we are having a torrential downpour and are under a severe storm alert! Hope my baby goldfish are ok out there in their new pond!

I saw the mix of leaves as well.

"Oak Apple Gall: A round, one to two inches in diameter growth with a spongy inside and a hard central core. These galls are seen on the leaves of scarlet and black oaks. They are caused by a tiny wasp and are usually seen in May or June."

I revise my guess to black oak.

LMT you win the prize!!!

Lookie what I found online - looks just like mine! Scary stuff - didn't know there were insects inside this innocent looking ball!

oak apple galls

The leaf looks like a maple that got carried away with the south beach diet.

;-)

Looks to me like what we used to call a 'Horse Chestnut' where I grew up. No idea what the proper horticultural name is though.

Try googling 'horse chestnut' and see what you find. I'd do it, but it's long past my bedtime - but I can't stop looking at these mysteries.

Sure glad that there's someone else who doesn't know what everything is in their garden <G>

Nope, not a horse chestnut!!!


My daddy had a biggggggg tree and I know
that's not the same leaf.....
And the nut is ruff...
That other thing looks smooth..

looks just like 'scrub oak' or ' bear oak' quercus ilicifolia in my Audubon Field Guide.

scrub oak

definately NOT a sicamore. the fruit in the picture that gardenmom showed us is about an inch in diameter, and has an inverted pebbled texture.

o.O i have no clue what that is though lol. you should pick one and show us whats' inside ^.^

~Phoebe

I have seen those growths on oaks before. It's an oak. What I was able to find suggested they occur on Blacks and Scarlets. The Scarlet's leaf is more waspy and has sharper points (see plants 'n pots link).

If I don't miss my guess, those little critters are benefical insects.