Before you blame Fluffy for ralphing on your hostas, take a closer look. That gross looking blob on the mulch is probably a harmless gift of nature. Across central Ohio, homeowners are recoiling from what appears to be dog vomit in their landscape.
In fact, in nearly every case it’s Fuligo septica, more commonly - and perhaps unkindly - known as “dog vomit slime mold.”
No need to worry if a blob like this shows up on your flower beds.
The yellow or gold blob appears on wood mulch when the weather turns hot and humid. Then it turns brown or tan as it dries. “Our customers ask us, ‘What’s this gross stuff on our mulch? It looks like puke,” says Daryl Hennessy, president of Hennessy Landscaping. “We’re happy to say it’s harmless and can easily be removed.” Central Ohio’s wet spring and summer heat and humidity have created a perfect climate for Fuligo septica, classified by biologists in the Kingdom Protista, which includes protozoa and algae. According to Ohio State University Extension, dog vomit slime moldwill not harm your plants or your pets, and it may in fact feed on plant-disease fungi. Here are some interesting facts about Fuligo septica: • Some people find it pretty or fascinating, or both
• Native people in some parts of Mexico gather it and scramble it like eggs
• In 1958, it inspired a science fiction movie, “The Blob,” starring Steve McQueen
Most homeowners don’t like it. “People say it looks awful, and ask what to do about it,” says Hennessy. “Fortunately, this is an easy landscape problem to solve. Just scrape it off and toss it in the garbage or hose it down.” Want the scientific scoop on nuisance fungi, mold and protozoa in the landscape? Check out this bulletin from Ohio State University Extension.
Need some reassurance on the dog vomit slime mold in your own landscape. This blog post in the Chicago Tribune might help.
Fascinated with nature’s little surprises? This page on Flickr offers some great full-color shots, including of Fuligo septica.
It's easy to remove Fuligo septica.
If you’re still curious, enter “dog vomit slime mold” in a Google or Yahoo search. There’s no shortage of online chatter on the subject.
Have fun with your landscape!
Serving our central Ohio customers since 1988. P.O. Box 528, Galloway, OH 43119
