Need identification on this growth on cherry & possibly plum trees and possible remedies

Question

It's what I like to call

The Alien Fungus,

the plants don't seem to be happy about it, but they do give fruit - it grows in continental Croatia, Europe, typical yearly temperature range -20 to 40 and high humidity with heavy clay (surrounded by an old forrest).

Some of the affected trees are a bit weak and tend to fall under the snow more often, they do give fruit but not as much as one would expect.

I'm also looking for a remedy for this, if possible (as much as is possible):

1. non-toxic
2. natural
3. can be applied during fruiting/flowering

UPDATE this good answer seems to have ID-ed the brown thing and that it feeds on dead wood (ie wood already dead)- but it seems now that the blueish-whiteish growth is a separate growth and is possibly killing the wood, does someone recognize it?

UPDATE the same answer as above ID-ed the blue-white thing as lichen - not harmful

Answer 1

Looks like chocolate slime mold... Seriously... Also known as Stemonitopsis. It is normally feeding on dead trees, so I don't think it is causing your tree problems. If parts of your trees are dead (which they feed on) it has probably another cause.