There is Fungus Amung Us!!

There are all types of fungi' that grow in and around us.  Some of them are good and some of them not so good and there are some of us who may think that no matter what kind of fungus the general public classifies a fungus, they are all gross! This page is primarily for fungus that will cause deformity or worse to your plant material. We will cover a few kinds of fungus on this page and show you some pictures of what that particular fungus may look like.

Fungus grows by spores and spores are primarily transported through the air, like smoke on a breeze.  What that means is, if the conditions are right, fungus will grow.  Sometimes warm, humid conditions are key to the growth of these spores.  Sometimes just a dark, damp environment will be conducive to their growth.  What that can be interpretted as, is that we cannot control the exact causes of fungus growth if it pertains to the general weather conditions.

 We have some fungi that grow in our landscaped areas, or areas that have mulch, and many homeowners wonder what they are and if they are harmful.  The first one pictured here is attractively called "Dog Vomit Fungus" and looks just as attractive as it's name.  When this fungus is young, it tends to be a bit slimy and then as it ages, the color turns more to an orangy color and gets crusty until, at long last, it hardens off and if peeled back will expose the dusty brown spores underneath. 

This next picture is called a "Bird Nest Fungus" and it also grows in the mulch.  Though less distgusting, it still causes some alarm.  This will grow as small balls in the mulch and as they mature, the tops will pop off and then expose the "eggs" inside each little cup.  This is not a harmful fungus and is quite interesting to watch, if you have children or a childlike interest in nature!  These little "nests" grow on decomposing sticks and wood and that is why we find them in the mulch of our landscapes.  They are serving a valid purpose and along with decomposition they help add valuable nutrients to the soil. 

In the same family of decomposers is the all familiar "Puffball" fungus.  We see this one in more open areas like lawns and it starts out as a small golf ball shaped mushroom that feels and is solid all the way through.  As it matures, similair to the "Bird Nest" fungus, the interior transforms into spores and the outer layer turns brown and pulls back just slightly to create an "airhole" where the spores can escape with the disruption of a breeze, or rain or even an animal (like a human) touching it.  The "smoke" that comes out of the hole are spores!