As of: January 20, 2024, 9:00 a.m
By: Ines Alms
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Anyone who discovers the large, yellow structure in the garden for the first time will probably be in for a real shock.
Find out what the mass is all about here.
The yellow, spongy growth the size of one or two fists sometimes sits on the kohlrabi in the raised bed, sometimes in the middle of the lawn or on the terrace floor.
Are there eggs in it or a caterpillar?
Is it plant or animal?
If you press in with your finger, you will notice that it is a soft, gelatinous mass.
It is very likely that the dubious structure is a slime mold, which is also popularly known as “witch butter” and is common in Germany.
The “witch’s butter” is neither plant nor animal
The yellow tan blossom or witch's butter (Fuligo septica) © Panthermedia/Imago
The yellow tan flower (Fuligo septica) is neither a plant nor an animal - it does not belong to the fungi in the classic sense, but to the slime molds (myxomycetes).
According to Fungiversum.de
, these organisms are
single-celled creatures that have characteristics of both animals and fungi.
The slime mold, up to 20 centimeters in size, is initially intensely yellow and becomes whitish to black-brown as it ages and can then take on a dry, powdery consistency.
The yellow tan has a unique lifestyle and is often found near decaying organic material as it feeds on bacteria and other microorganisms.
The “witch’s butter” feels particularly at home on moss, bark, wood or leaves in the forest, but it also gets lost in some gardens and is more likely to be found in damp, dark corners.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
The slime mold crawls in search of food
If the yellow tan is in one place today and in another place days later, you are not having an illusion.
In search of nutrients, unlike normal mushrooms, it moves slowly, crawling - according to
Naturwald-akademie.org
, slime molds manage about one centimeter per hour - and leaves a light trail of slime behind it like a snail.
The slime mold is neither poisonous nor dangerous to other plants.
In Central America it is even eaten grilled or fried - the English also call the witch's butter “scrumbled egg slime”.
There are no scientifically proven harmful effects on humans.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.