I found this plant in our pasture near Peters Creek. It was growing amongst other assorted tall plants & grasses.
Hi Jonelle,
this looks like a goldenrod, probably Solidago altissima, infested with two kinds of galls – usually caused by the goldenrod gall fly. The swollen one is sometimes called the goldenrod ball gall. I am not an entomologist, so I really don’t know anything about the insects that cause these but they are very common.
Sincerely,
Dr. Steven Hill, Botanist, SCNPS