Plants - Cancer?

Have you ever wondered what causes those large growths bulging from trees?  Well, probably not, but us here in the flower and plant world do think of these fun and exciting topics (no exaggeration...). Thankfully, there is an answer to this question!  The inquisitive and deep thinker C. Clairborne Ray, a columnist for The New York Times, happens to ponder like the rest of us floral minds, and decided to look into this conundrum.   It turns out that these "tumors", or growths, don't metastasize because the plant cells have cell walls preventing them from moving around.  Hugely multiplied collection of cells, or plant tumors, is usually caused by a virus, fungus, bacterium, or structural damage according to Dr. Susan Pell, director of science at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. To read the article and settle your straining mind that is yearning to figure out what those bulging growths on plants and trees are, read more here: Tree Bulges.