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orangecat_gw

Help! What is this gross yellow foamy/spongy stuff?

orangecat
18 years ago

This morning when I left my house and was getting in my car, I looked at my front garden and noticed this really disgusting looking yellow foamy/spongy stuff in two spots in my garden---around the trunk of a redbud and underneath a mum. The two spots are a few feet away from each other, and there was none of this stuff in between or anywhere else in the garden (at least that I saw in my frenzy to get to work). I used a trowel to scoop it away. It's a very spongy/foamy substance that is a strong yellow in color. Does anybody have any idea what this is or what I should do about it? (I don't know if it makes any difference but it has been very humid here and we had strong thunderstorms last night so it was very wet this morning. But I haven't seen this stuff before and I didn't see it in any of my neighbors' gardens.) Thanks for any help!

Comments (66)

  • lisanti07028
    10 years ago

    sherryd0049, you need to post a picture of it, and your best results would come from starting your own thread, preferably in the Name That Plants forum here on Gardenweb, rather than adding to a very old thread. I hope to see you and a picture in Name That Plant soon!

  • sherryd0049
    10 years ago

    here is what it looks like

  • sherryd0049
    10 years ago

    here is what it looks like

    {{!gwi}}

  • sherryd0049
    10 years ago

    here is another

  • sherryd0049
    10 years ago

    these are different ones growing in my front yard

  • sherryd0049
    10 years ago

    these are different ones growing in my front yard

    {{!gwi}}

  • Gary Whitfield
    8 years ago

    I have this stuff too. I've noticed too that if you mowe over it, it will leave a big black mark in the lawn. Is there any way to get rid of it? It may not be harmful but it looks horrible. Thank You

  • bifflauren
    8 years ago

    I live in Granbury Texas. I also have this in my yard. I've lived here for 32 years and have never seen this before. My question is the same as everyone else. WHAT IS IT? Is it harmful ?

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    8 years ago

    Did you read any of the previous posts? If it matches the photos and/or descriptions, it is one of the slime molds, a fungal organism, and it is harmless.

  • Basia Leja-Verdin
    8 years ago

    So do I keep it or clean it up and throw out ASAP? Yellow spunge mold stuff. Worried it could spread closer to our home?!!!


  • mcpisces34
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago


    yes I checked my garden in morning and all was good, came home late afternoon and went out only to see this same white gob frightening. I poked it only to find big black bean. Last night it is now in the back bed on the ground not on plants. It has black powdery dust coming out if you tap it.

  • jenealy
    8 years ago

    Mine looks slightly different and is growing out of an old evergreen stump. It has doubled in size since yesterday.

  • esm48
    8 years ago

    Wow - this is exactly what has been appearing on my mulch, especially after a heavy rain - thought it was some strange animal poop - looks creepy - glad it's harmless! (Though it would freak me out if I saw it in my house!)

  • bmahal1625
    8 years ago

    I have the same stuff in my yard. I have a dog and I am afraid if he eats it might hurt him. It looks yuk. I do not know what to do or whom to call to take care of this.

  • Basia Leja-Verdin
    8 years ago

    Since my original post... the mold has gone away on its own. It didn't rain for about a week straight and each day it got smaller and smaller and hasn't returned, at least not yet! I have a small dog that i let out and she wasn't even interested in getting close to it :)

  • cathiclose4
    8 years ago

    Is this the same thing? I'm not sure. Help!

  • HU-472317
    8 years ago

    In Australia, here is my overnight grown slime mold

  • Brittany Martin
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Ok, so I walked out this morning to clean out our baby chickens cage and went to get them some water and almost had a heart attack when I saw this stuff growing on the hose. I wouldn't pick it up. My first thought was that some sick animal had puked in my yard and my immediate second thought was what if they were ill or had rabies? ! I panicked and went back in and washed my hands thoroughly and then went to take these picks to send to my husband. Then I Googled it and found this forum and I PRAY that this is what this stuff is. We use the hose daily, and walked the path up to our steps daily where this is, so i am certain that no part of this was there yesterday, and we were outside until dusk. Here's the pics, let me know what you think, or give me some advice as to who I could maybe call about it. Thank you!


  • Erin Paez
    7 years ago

    Omg! I am so glad I found this thread! I live in middle Tennessee and have a container garden in my back yard. 2 days ago I went outside and found this On my cantaloupe plant. I removed it and cut the plant back to about an inch about the soil. It wasn't anywhere near or on the other plants in the container and hasn't come back on that plant. But then the next day (yesterday) evening, I went back out, and found more growing in a different container on one of my bell pepper plants (just one stalk - even though there was another stalk right next to it that was untouched) and one of my edamame plants. So I scooped it off the soil and cleaned both plants with a towel. This morning it had grown back on the bell pepper plant so I recleaned it. Then again this afternoon, I saw some growing in a totally different container, on my cabbage!! It's nasty looking and I've been stressing about it cause I don't want it to ruin my garden. So I'm relieved to know that it's harmless. I still feel like I should clean it though. Hopefully we won't get too much more rain.

  • mlfung001
    7 years ago

    I found similar, like a mango wedge between my blinds and window ledge...it is inside the house!! Yellow like mango!

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    7 years ago

    Anyone really wanting an identification needs to include pictures.

  • lstnwl
    7 years ago

    Not sure if this is the same stuff everyone is discussing - what we have in our yard does not look like the other photos. Should I be concerned? I have never seen this before. It wasn't here this morning

  • fallivel
    7 years ago

    Thank you everyone for your posts. I thought for sure it was deer vomit. I feel better now I know it is harmless.

  • Ahmed Doshan
    7 years ago

    I live in Thailand and found this by the pool. Seemed to have what looked like eggs?

  • Libby Flores
    7 years ago

    We cleaned it once and it's back! Ugh!

  • Carol Wheaton
    6 years ago

    I woke up to this being in my yard this morning. It's really disgusting looking.


  • Michael Peterson
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Central West Washington, this morning I found this!? Really weird looking yellow foamy stuff growing on top of a chip pile we created last year from many different trees. Pretty cool to look at but "is it dangerous"?

  • ponyxp67
    5 years ago

    I had this appear around my bird feeder but there was no mulch involved but there is birdseed scraps on the ground. I scooped it up and trashed it because I wasn't sure if it would hurt the birds. I have never seen this before. I live in the Mid-Atlantic region and we had an extreme winter and a very wet spring. The pollen was so heavy it coated cars. The perennials have been in overdrive this spring and the Rhododendrons are the fullest I've seen them in years. Does the weather have anything to do with the growth of this slime mold? Thank you all for the information you have provided. :)

  • erinmenard88
    5 years ago

    THANK YOU SOOO MUCH for this question and answer!! I was ABOUT to call my dogs vet because this kept happening BUT this morning, we saw new "dog vomit fungus" pop up and the dogs were not outside during this time period so I knew I had to check into this!! Thank goodness for the internet and people like you who share information!! Many thanks!! Now how can I get rid of this HORRIBLE SLIME VOMIT!!!

  • D Jones
    4 years ago

    Ok from reading everyone's previous posts and seeing the pictures, pretty convinced that what appeared in my yard this morning is the same. BUT, with a slight difference, we had no clue what this weird blob was so my husband slightly moved it with his foot and the inside looked just like the outside..no black powder or anything. BUT,...LOL...about 8 hours later I come outside and it looks like this!!!!! WHAT IN THE HECK?!?!



  • Kelli Green
    4 years ago


    Just put the dog out and found this in the flowerbed next to the door. Where i poked at it, it looks like its bleeding. Yeck! Assuming it is the mold being talked about.

  • HU-750480263
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I found this at the base of my wall on the outside of the house. I found a small amount the first day, scraped it out, but the next morning I found this. I’m not sure if it’s the same thing you are talking about, but sure need some help trying to identify it please.

    PS it is not connected to any plants

  • Michelle DiMarco
    4 years ago


    Here’s my picture from this morning. The kids were poking it with a stick. I told them to stop bc it looked like vomit from an animal

  • dn2525
    4 years ago

    I just found some in my garden I thought it was animal puke, I sprayed it with the hose and it made purple smoke - haze

  • HU-755697953
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago


    I found this in my yard this morning. Gross! Should I remove it or leave alone? Its under a shrub and close to my house. Pretty big and very sticky looking. Please help!

  • dollygoyal5
    3 years ago

    Can anyone tell what is this?

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    3 years ago

    dolly, if whatever you have looks like the previous photos and you have read any of the comments, then you will know it is a type of slime mold and is harmless. If it looks different, then we need a photo.

  • Hannah Hollaway
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Is this the same you all are talking about? My two year old scooped it up and stuck it straight in her mouth before I could blink! Should I call poison control or be concerned? I immediately rinsed her mouth out and she has acted completely normal since the Incident.


  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    3 years ago

    No, they are nontoxic if ingested. But the dried spores can produce respiratory irritation to some.

  • HU-569041613
    3 years ago

    I’d spray it all with bleach.

  • HU-569041613
    3 years ago

    I’ll put one cup of bleach and a gallon of water and sprayed it with a bug sprayer and it never comes back the whole season

  • HU-238740616
    2 years ago

    I have the same nasty blob that shows up a couple of times a year (in the same spot) on my gravel dtiveway. If I leave it it dries out and falls apart when I shovel it away. If I remove it right away it is a slime consistency. The top a bright orange and the interior a brighter orange. It varies in appearance slightly. This last one looked like popcorn that had been tossed in a bright orange sauce.

    I'm glad to read the previous comments as I too thought some animal was vomiting on the driveway.

    The closest plants are about 6 feet away so it does not seem to be related to plants or mulch as some have suggested but who knows.

    If anyone has any suggestions as to where a person could learn more facts about this fungus I would appreciate that information.

  • Cheryl Truss
    2 years ago

    So glad I found this thread!! Wasn't sure if someone was puking in our landscaping at first. I was starting to think we were breeding mini aliens or if all of a sudden 10,000 spiders were going to come out of that thing! So disgusting!!!


  • Karen Parks
    2 years ago



  • Clara Witmer
    last year

    I have the same question I noticed a little patch of it the other day and didn't think anything of it but now it's like all over the place.

  • No Idea
    last year

    I found this on my kitchen floor, anyone has an idea what it could be ?


  • No Idea
    last year



  • Christopher Morning
    last year

    post a picture later but mine on eves inside my house it's black and purple looks chewed up blackberry's stuck to

  • Claudia Cheek
    10 months ago

    Now, I'm almost sure it's a fungus spore, kinda like mushrooms. I'd wager most everyone here has mushrooms, moisture and leaves or wood.

  • HU-758441808
    3 months ago

    I've got them everywhere eth

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