29
votes
Accepted
Why did my sweet corn kernels grow into this?
That's corn smut, a fungus. It's edible and a part of Mexican cuisine. I doubt that you need to notify the authorities, but given that USDA has been trying for decades to eradicate it in the US, it's ...
- 17.5k
16
votes
Accepted
Is this heavy blue-green growth on my tree trunk and branches a form of lichen?
These look like the tree lichens that are growing on my own trees. A lichen is a composite organism where by a fungus lives together with an algae in a symbiotic relationship. They don't hurt the tree,...
- 23k
16
votes
Accepted
Please identify this green jello organism
Not doing well with searches involving your location, but it looks very like "Nostoc Commune" which is a cyanobacterium.
Image from the linked Ohio State University web page. Limiting ...
- 21.1k
15
votes
Accepted
What is this (fungus?) on my fruit trees, and should I treat it?
That is lichen, which is not detrimental to your tree's health (it's not a parasite, it lives off of photosynthesis). This is normal, no need to worry.
- 51.6k
11
votes
mushrooms in raised garden beds around strawberries
It's one of the bonnet mushrooms, not sure which - maybe Mycena acicula, the orange bonnet, but they will do no harm to your strawberries. These are just the fruiting bodies of mycelium present in the ...
- 131k
10
votes
Please identify this green jello organism
Wow. Thanks to the links provided by @Ecnerwal, I found that Nostoc Commune and related goops are truly fascinating organisms. A few random facts that deserve to be recorded here in an answer:
It’s a ...
- 353
9
votes
Is this heavy blue-green growth on my tree trunk and branches a form of lichen?
As Graham says they are lichen and moss. A tree will commonly live in a symbiotic relationship with millions of macro and micro-scopic organisms. In tropical and temperate rain forests overgrowth on ...
- 57.6k
8
votes
How can I get rid of fungus on my pepper plants?
There appears to be a long standing insect infestation, possiby whitefly (does anything rise up and fly about when you go near or disturb the plant?) or scale infestation of some sort. The leaves ...
- 131k
7
votes
Accepted
What fungus is this?
This is a member of the Nidulariaceae / birds nest fungi, the exact variety would need better photos and possibly a microscope, but I can still answer your other questions:
No, they are not dangerous....
- 16k
7
votes
Accepted
What is this 'bleeding' mushroom?
I don't know which fungus it is, but there are bracket fungii which exude amber coloured droplets (Shaggy Bracket, Oak Bracket fungus) although this one doesn't look like either of those. Trees, when ...
- 131k
7
votes
Accepted
How can I get rid of fungus on my pepper plants?
Your close up leaf images show an aphid infestation. In my experience, this is a highly persistent insect that infests chili plants amongst others with over 500 different types of Aphids specific to ...
- 23k
7
votes
Accepted
Identify brown fungus growing on dead branches of an Escarpment Live Oak
It is a little hard to tell for sure from the single photo (if you could pick a specimen & post more detailed photos including the underside & provide a description of the texture, it would ...
- 1,760
7
votes
Accepted
What are these small white balls that appeared on the soil in my greenhouse?
How impressive!
I think you can relax - this is not a sign of a massive insect infestation and not a fungus, but one of nature’s wonders known as slime mold.
The “eggs” are the spore-carrying ...
- 16k
6
votes
Is this powdery mildew on my tomato?
That appears to be Southern Blight, Sclerotium rolfsii
It's a fungal disease from the soil, and affects many species of plants. You cannot cure plants infected with it. From the University of ...
- 51.6k
6
votes
Is powdery mildew spreading through my garden?
Looks like some kind of Verbena in the top pic, possibly Verbena bonariensis - these are prone to getting powdery mildew, particularly towards the end of the growing season, and the usual cause is ...
- 131k
6
votes
Are these mushrooms poisonous and how can I get rid of them?
It's a member of the order Agaricales. Which contains many edible mushrooms such as the white mushrooms you buy in the store as well as very poisonous mushrooms such as the European destroying angel.
...
- 509
6
votes
Why is this years-old vine dying and showing strange beige spots?
The plant is Rhoicissus rhomboidea 'Ellen Danica', common name Mermaid Vine, though its often referred to as grape ivy. At first glance, rust infection springs to mind, but a closer examination ...
- 131k
6
votes
Accepted
How to get rid of this white fungus
These are Parasola plicatilis, the pleated inkcap. They are saprobic, meaning they live off decaying matter in the soil, and these fruiting bodies are usually short lived. Common in grass, but ...
- 131k
6
votes
What are these fungus-like things in my tree?
It is lichen, yes - if it's only excessive on dead branches, that's why it's proliferating, because the wood is dead, although it does occur on live branches or trunks of trees as well, though not ...
- 131k
5
votes
Accepted
How to protect my apple tree from this disease?
Remove that whole limb ASAP. It's at least "mostly dead" if it's got shelf fungus growing on it.
The fungus is a symptom, not the cause, but you want to remove the dead wood regardless.
- 21.1k
5
votes
What is this fungus that looks like a brain coral?
I've got to say that looks an awful lot like a brain coral with moss growing on it. I know of no mushrooms that look nearly as similar to brain coral, and I don't think any fungal fruiting body would ...
- 6,997
5
votes
How many times do Fungus Gnats lay eggs?
Fungus gnats have a busy but short life. As this site indicates
An adult fungus gnat lays up to 200 eggs during the one week it spends
as an adult winged gnat. The adult then dies. Legless larvae ...
- 57.6k
5
votes
Accepted
What is this white crust forming on my cactus during the growing months?
What you're seeing there is quite normal callous formation - it's a bit like a scab when you've cut yourself. The cause of the corky callous layers is damage - either from insects, or sudden chilling, ...
- 131k
5
votes
How can one prevent baby/recently sprouted plant disease?
re: "How can one prevent baby/recently sprouted plant disease?"
With knowledge & proper care.
re: "When one desires to germinate seeds in the seedling tray, he/she has to keep a humid and warm ...
- 220
5
votes
Accepted
What is causing this yellow fungus in my plants' soil, and should I be concerned?
Fungus are decay agents and can find a home where there is food (organic matter) and enough moisture to start. They will not cause any harm to the plant.
Solutions:
leave them be
or take a trowel or ...
- 57.6k
5
votes
Accepted
How can I discourage mycelium and other fungi growth in containers?
It's not something you should worry about - there's no way of getting rid of mycelium without using completely sterile soil. Even if you did that, the air is full of fungal spores and they may arrive ...
- 131k
5
votes
Are these mushrooms poisonous and how can I get rid of them?
Not sure which varieties of mushroom they are, but even if they are poisonous, that's only the case if you decide to throw them in a casserole or fry 'em up for breakast, so just don't eat them. The ...
- 131k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible