What is this?

[buckvelvet]

I found this behind my house, amongst mature oaks and maples, also some popples.

I couldn't find another type of mature producing tree around.

They are deff a fruit when it was cut open it smelled like a kiwi, size of a quarter.

 

[Rally1148]

It's an oak-apple gall. They are from Cynipid wasps. Pretty neat little evolutionary niche. Rather than using other insects for their larva's host, like many wasps, they use plants!

 

[buckvelvet]

Nothing eats the fruit it turns into? Seriously it was like a piece of fruit...

Crazy!

 

[chummer]

There is my lesson for the day. That is crazy. I bet bears like them.

 

[Rally1148]

I

Nothing eats the fruit it turns into? Seriously it was like a piece of fruit...

Crazy!

I don't know if things eat them or not, I would assume something would. It might not be deer, but I bet a coon or coyote wouldn't hesitate to try it out.

 

[rafterman]

Heh, I just found one of these on Saturday in my woods and was trying to figure out what the heck it was. I'm with you buckvelvet, sure seemed like a piece of really firm fruit to me too. The inner portion of mine was yellow, with about the outer 1/8" being deep red.