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Can't identify shrub with green flower/leaf balls

9 years ago

I found a shrub growing along the edge of the woods (near the road) last week when I was up in far northern (near Ely) Minnesota. It has these odd little balls of wavy leaves (or maybe they were flowers?) growing at the end of strong stems, like you might see roses or peonies growing. It had other, normal leaves, all over the shrub and it was probably about 3 feet high (though I'm not certain on that because it growing on a bit of an embankment. I just can not figure out what it might be, and I sure wish I had taken better photos. Any ideas? Thanks! Katy

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Comments (10)

duluthinbloomz4
9 years ago
Could be a hazelnut - there are two wild species in Minnesota. Small nuts are borne in clusters that squirrels tend to "harvest".
kmeter
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the idea. Definitely that's the closest thing I've seen though the involucres are pointy on hazlenut and the leaves (if that's what they are) are smooth on the edges of this. I am not there any more but may ask my grandma to send me more photos including some of the leaves.
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kmeter
Original Author
9 years ago
Here's one more photo in case it helps at all.
lycopus
9 years ago
I suspect this is some type of leafy gall rather than a flower.
wisconsitom
9 years ago
For a sec there, I thought you'd found an ironwood tree fruit, or perhaps the other ironwood-er...musclewood, er Carpinus carolinianus. Anyway, I find myself drawn to the background in that last pic. Unless of course, the exposure is off and that's really a hairy guy's leg!

+oM
kmeter
Original Author
9 years ago
The dark brown background is just the fake-wood dashboard in my minivan. I'm almost positive this isn't a gall, and I've torn one apart to see if there is a bug inside --and there isn't. Would welcome other ideas.
wisconsitom
9 years ago
That is def. not what I was talking about! Oh well, human anatomy aside, I really have no idea. I didn't seriously mean I thought that was an inflorescense from Ostrya virginiana, just that it slightly resembled one, one at that which had been partially damaged.

+oM
kmeter
Original Author
9 years ago
Here is another more close up photo.
Embothrium
9 years ago
The way someone here is going to recognize the shrub is if you show a shoot with at least several complete leaves visible. Also a habit photo of the bush itself would not be amiss, as would any good shots of mature winter buds or other distinctive parts that may be present, including fresh or even spent fruits.
kmeter
Original Author
9 years ago
and one final photo. Maybe I'll ask my grandma to go back out there and take more photos of the whole shrub. But she uses a film camera which means it'll be a month or so before she gets it developed and mails it to me.

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