Oak Apple

By Rhiannonw

Fri, 24 Nov 2017
  • 1986 reads
8 comments
 

Oak apple rosy,
nursery cosy:
wasp larva fed free
by host oak tree.

Certificate U
Poem
Nature
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

you drove me to google Rhiannon, as I had only a vague idea of what an oak apple was. Did you know it was an important ingredient of ink - and that the Magna Carta was written using it? I'm not sure how common they are - did you take that photo?

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

! Glad I stimulated that! Yes, the photo is one I took yesterday on a walk. It had come down with the leaf into the carpet. I had never seen one looking as rosy as that. Possibly the ones I've seen before were actually Marble galls. There are various kinds of gall, I had heard that one has been used for ink, but not about the Magna Carta! I think they and other galls are quite common. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon,

I too have never heard of the oak apple. It must have been a great find for you.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Hi, Jenny. Thank you. I've seen some brownish galls like this one before, but not such a lovely colour, really the colours of a rosy apple! and catching the sun, it looked very beautiful amongst the mucky path of leaves in the wood! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by forest_for_ever on

I am envious of the short poem writer.  My stuff always rambles on too much...

 

Love the poem Rhiannon

 

Hope you are in good health and spirits

 

forest

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, I rarely write this short! Nice to hear from you, we are well, and I hope you are coping with life with not too many troubles, and God's help. regards, Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

That one really does look like an apple! I bet it would be horribly bitter to eat though. So, the hard dry orangey brown ones are not oak apples?

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. I think I tried to look into it at the time, and they seemed to be just another type of oak gall, maybe 'marble galls', but often called oak apples as more common, but I couldn't be sure. Let me know if you find out more! Rhiannon