Unofficially it’s called “dog vomit slime mold”, but officially it’s known as Fuligo septica. Which, when roughly translated into english means, “sticky stuff on the bottom of Bob’s shoe”. Not a fungus and definitely not dog yak-up, this stuff is often found growing in mulched areas and is impossible to get rid of. But that’s ok since it’s harmless to plants, humans, and pets. When I first noticed the mold, it was in its fruiting stage and quite beautiful, and from a distance it looked like a drift of fallen yellow jessamine flowers. Then overnight it puffed and poofed into this ugly brown mass. It may be harmless, but this organism does not go away as quickly as it appears. The crust on this one will eventually be broken by rain and/or unsuspecting critters thus releasing millions of spores. And as long as we, here in Dallas, Texas and continue to have mild weather, this mold will continue to thrive in my garden.