Strange growth on mintplant

Posts

• josusa47 Posts: 3,530

  May 2020

  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.

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• Newslettersblogsetc Posts: 2

  May 2020

  Thank you! 

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• ian_mcintyre Posts: 0

  May 2020

  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.

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