Tree identity - Oak? But not acorns..

melllymellG

Hello forum friends..

A friend & I have a query..out on a country walk we came across what looks like an Oak tree sapling..However the nut/seed doesn't look like a normal acorn so wondered if anyone could shed light on what this is??

Dovefromabove

That’s a gall caused by a gall wasp laying an egg in the tree. The gall forms around it and the larva grows inside. The hole is where it emerged. They’re colloquially known as ‘oak apples’ 

wild edges

It's a wasp gall. Basically a wasp lays eggs into the leaf bud and the larvae corrupts the growth to make a gall to protect itself while it grows. There's quite a few different types that effect oak trees but these are called oak marble galls or oak apples. They used to be collected to make into ink.

I have one on a shelf over my desk and it hatched one day.

melllymellG

Thanks so much - mystery solved! In awe of how much knowledge you all have on here..

Palustris

Called Oak apples because when they first erupt they are bright red.