Strange growth on mintplant

Newslettersblogsetc

Can anybody tell me what this is on my mintplant?

josusa47

I suspect it's a gall of some sort.  When insects bite plants, they can sometimes transmit a virus which causes a localised abnormal growth: the plant equivalent of a tumour in an animal.  Cut the stem below it if if offends you, and don't worry, mint is virtually indestructible.  It won't infect other plants.

Newslettersblogsetc

Thank you! 

ian_mcintyre

josusa47 said:

I suspect it's a gall of some sort.  When insects bite plants, they can sometimes transmit a virus which causes a localised abnormal growth: the plant equivalent of a tumour in an animal.  Cut the stem below it if if offends you, and don't worry, mint is virtually indestructible.  It won't infect other plants.

Thanks Josua47, I noticed a thickening stem on my spearmint, exactly like Newslettersblogsetc first image, so I cut it off and binned it, only on that one variety, I also have Garden, Moroccan, apple and Chocolate mint varieties which have not been affected over this winter. Never had it before.