Avocado tree growth?

[Eva Rose]

I live in Southern California, and my family has a fuerte avocado tree. It developed a strange growth, which we noticed earlier this week:

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Does anyone know what this is or whether it is harmful to the tree? So far, the tree seems healthy and normal.

Many thanks for your help!

 

[beastmaster]

Have you tried peeling it off? It looks like some kind of mutation of a bud. Is it just that one? Some insects can cause mutations in plants(Wasp+oaks+galls) I haven't a clue. I doubt its dangerous or harmful to the tree if its just that one. If the whole tree starts looking like that I'ed move.(just joking)

 

[Raintree]

Have you tried peeling it off? It looks like some kind of mutation of a bud. Is it just that one? Some insects can cause mutations in plants(Wasp+oaks+galls) I haven't a clue. I doubt its dangerous or harmful to the tree if its just that one. If the whole tree starts looking like that I'ed move.(just joking)

Good call beastmaster, looks like a gall to me. Most likely from a Eriophyid Mite.

 

[Eva Rose]

Thank you both for your responses! It looks like it may well be a gall caused by a mite, judging by what I've found on the Internet. It's the only mutation on the tree, so hopefully we can remove it without too much trouble.

Thanks again!

 

[beastmaster]

Lucky guess. Glad we found a cause, cuz that thing was scary looking. Rose they have several types of predatory mites that you can buy on line that'll eat the other mites if they become too much of a problem. Good luck