I hope you can get some advice from someone who has seen this before! I haven't. Looks weird. A few things though....

1. if you don't know what any plant is, don't transplant it (unless you need that spot for something else).

2. Perhaps the contractor said "gall worms". That wouldn't be the normal term but I suppose the lumps could be galls. They don't look like any galls I've ever seen but plants develop all sorts of odd galls (could be nematodes, fungi, wasps, etc.).

1. I'm definitely not transplanting it! My landscape maintenance contractor dug it up and put it in her pickup to take to the dump/refuse center/trash heap/whatever.

2. I told her that and she said "no I said gull worms". Oh well. She said many organisms use that same method of hibernation.

Thanks,

Don

There are images online of "twig galls" that are somewhat similar to the above picture. In your case gall growth may have stopped due to the recent very cold week in western WA.

"Gull worms" is not in common use. In fact, this Houzz page is the only closely related result in a google search.

Galls can be formed by both beneficial and by pest insects; just as well that your bush was removed.

I‘d be annoyed if someone chucked out one of my plants without my say so. Whatever the problem is, the shrub could have been cut back hard thus eliminating all the affected branches. And it is highly unlikely a pest would survive in a large composting operation. I’d honestly be looking for a new gardener since this one doesn’t seem to know what she’s doing. You say you didn't know the name of the shrub. Does that mean she couldn't identify it for you? That’s poor if she purports to be a professional. At least get second opinions on her advice In future.

She did not "chuck" the plant without my approval! We discussed it. She said she could trim it back but the infestation was in multiple spots on each branch, not just on the tip. I made the decision to remove it. Maybe you have professional gardeners walking the streets looking for work where you live but it is not so easy to find a professional HARD WORKING landscape contractor where I live. This woman has done dozens of tasks for us and they have all been top notch, including the beautiful Evergreen Garden she built for us, to my wife's specifications and with dozens of consulting meetings and trips to nurseries with my wife. If you are going to express your OPINION you might want to tone it down a bit.

Don

Sorry you took exception to my post, Don. Perhaps it’s a question of different registers in different cultures because I see nothing to be upset about in my words and certainly nothing to warrant capital letters. I didn't expect such sensitivity to a statement of opinion.

You didn’t actually say you’d given permission to her to chuck the shrub. I don’t have a gardener and never have had, but if I did I would expect them to be able to id my shrubs and to know the effects of composting on pests. It’s probably best I don’t comment on the pictured garden. Anyway, I apologise.