It sounds like a slime mold which is a harmless fungus that appears in mulch. Did you spread mulch around? It will just disappear without doing any damage. I haven't tried this, but maybe if you googled slime mold, a site would have a picture of the various slime molds. (One is called dog vomit slime mold!) I kid you not!

Actually, if you look through the threads, you'll note that I already asked about the dog vomit growing on my mulch and up my plant stems! [LOL]

This, however, isn't slimy looking. It looks like a carrot. I a slime mold site, and the very last photograph looks like my vomit collection.

However, this THING. This carrot THING. It's weird. Kind of like an orange, garden penis.

Ah well.
Thanks for the thought! I guess I might have given everyone else one in turn!
Christine

You ask the most interesting questions, Christine! I'm guessing that it is a stinkhorn fungus. It grows in woodchips and mulch, IIRC.

Suja

Here is a link that might be useful: Info on Stinkhorn fungus

Orange garden penis sounds unmistakably like a stinkhorn fungus to me too. Does it stink? They're not called stinkhorn for nothing -- n-a-s-t-y.

Garden Penises...funny stuff...that is a phrase that I did not try to type into Google. I looked at the pictures on the link and yep, that is sure what it looks like. An excerpt from the page: "Several stinkhorns are common in North America, including the aptly named Phallus impudicus". If you do get down to smell it, you might want to double check that he neighbors are not looking.

- Brent

I was wondering what kind of inline ad was going to appear for that one :-).

lol! I was feeling glum but this thread has made my day!

Geez, no news from Christine for days. You think The Thing got her?

Suja

Here I am!!!
I was in MI over the weekend and am not getting email notifications again.

Well, you guys nailed it. It's the Garden Penis labeled 'George Barron.' Ok, ok. I know that's the photographer, but wouldn't he be honored to have a Garden Penis named after him? [LOL]

I've wondered what these were for 3 years now. And NO, I'm not gonna crawl down there and sniff this baby. It's about 8'' tall now, but that's just too weird.

Thanks so much for finding this! I can relax now and know with confidence that my garden isn't producing genetalia.

Christine

I'm new to this forum; loved this thread. My neighbors think I'm really weird with my gardening obsession. If I get one of these "Things" in my newly-mulched front lawn, it will be too funny.

FirmDancer, make certain you take a photo. They disappear pretty quickly, so no one really believes you're growing orange penises in your garden -- or why you would! [LOL]

Coming to the swap?
Christine

Hi Christine - I understand the info about the swap can be found by clicking on "Exchanges" but I can't decipher all the messages to clarify when and where the swap actually is. :) Hopefully I'll figure out in time.

And thanks for the tip about the photo -- the other thing I found really amusing about your note was your disclaimer statement right from the beginning - not knowing how to use a digital camera. I have that same issue. Something to work on over the winter, I guess.

FD, on the Exchanges forum, look for threads with the subject like 'Haves (or Food or Wants) list for mag fall 2005: Sat, October 15 @ ssfs'. It should give you the details, right up top. Basically, the fall swap is on October 15th at the Sandy Springs Elementary School. There are three (actually more, but I'm trying to be less confusing than the Exchanges forum) threads about it, one in which people post things they have (The 'Haves' Thread), one in which they post the things they are looking for (The 'Wants' Thread) and the ever popular and self explanatory Foods Thread.

Suja

I've been seeing these things all over, never saw them before- ugh! really nasty!

It's funny, with this horrible drought, you'd think all the fungus would be dead but I guess I've been watering enough to allow it to thrive.

What's the consensus on how to get rid of them- I certainly wouldn't want to touch it!

Suja - thank you so much! I've got it figured out now.

mkand - good luck! hopefully someone can help you out

I had to laugh at this thread...hope you don't mind a late reply. I get these thing all the time. They really like wood chip mulches...especially after a year or so of breaking down.

I find that if they start to appear I can sift through the surrounding mulch and dirt and I will turn up lots of white egg-shaped sacs...kind of jelly filled -these are the pre-fruiting? bodies. I just winnow them out and dump them in the compost. They tend to appear in large groupings so when you spot the first few it's not too hard to keep the rest from 'popping up';^P