Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.
Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).
We spotted this bitternut hickory, bedecked in wart-like baubles, in Foley Park in Norwich, Vermont. What are all these bumps on the tree’s trunk and branches?
These are phomopsis galls. As explained in this post by University of Maine Cooperative Extension, these galls “appear to start forming on twigs and small branches before infection of larger branches or the main stem,” and they range “from pea size up to the size of a basketball.”
This week’s contest winner was Leah Williamson