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May 13, 2008: Boschniakia strobilacea
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Rosa 'Ausmas'
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Lobelia tupa
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Enkianthus campanulatus
August 10, 2005 : Salix sp.
Keywords: Salicaceae | Tolstoi Tall-Grass Prairie Reserve
“Pine-cone willow gall” is caused by a gall midge, Rhabdophaga strobiloides. This dipteran (related to flies and mosquitoes) deposits an egg in the developing terminal leaf buds of the willow in early spring. The larva releases a chemical which interferes with the typical leaf and branch development of the willow, instead causing the formation of this cone-like structure. The adult dipteran emerges the following spring, after having spent the winter in the gall.
Check out a few more photographs of pine-cone willow gall via the Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium or read more about galls courtesy of the Michigan Entomological Society. Douglas Justice has also identified the phenomenon in the past on the garden's discussion forums.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at August 10, 2005 2:20 AM
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Posted by: Laura Kilpatrick at August 10, 2005 5:48 AM
I see the pine cone willow gall and I notice the leaves. I have this problem with my houseplants and my garden plants. Please could you give me some suggestion on how to get rid of this problem. Thank You m scott
Posted by: mscott1953 at August 10, 2005 6:06 AM
Laura, I don't know where you are located, but often universities, schools or local government agencies offer extension courses designed for adults. You might wish to check with your local schools. Also check out the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. It is a good source of botanical information that you can explore at your own pace.
M. Scott, I do not know much about control of gall. You will find more info at the Michigan Entomological Society link .
For another look at a fascinating gall formation, check out these woses.
Posted by: Eric La Fountaine at August 10, 2005 9:39 AM
Laura, a good place to get a survey of the various areas of botany is an entry-level college or university textbook, which can often be found at used bookstores for a fraction of the original price.
I'm also going to disagree with your assertion that being in your early 50s prevents pursuing formal training! Perhaps the situations and circumstances of your life would make things difficult, but I don't think age in and of itself is a barrier these days to at least pursuing a bachelor's degree (beyond that depends on the institution and the graduate advisor, so that might still be difficult). There are plenty of “mature students” here at UBC, though.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at August 10, 2005 12:07 PM
Laura, worry not. I got a BS in botany at age 63.
Take plenty of chemistry too -it's really fun.
Posted by: ann crawford at August 11, 2005 11:38 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
I am interested in learning more about botany and all its inclusions. I'm a woman in my early 50's so I can't have the formal, lengthy training, but I am willing to go to classes to learn more...where do I start?
Thank you for your help.
Laura