In nature all things die and are eventually recycled back into the earth. How this is accomplished and how quickly it’s accomplished varies depending on a host of factors. Many kinds of fungi grow on dead and decaying vegetative material, and they come in all sorts of crazy shapes, sizes, and colors. One mushroom that loves old wood is the fan-shaped jelly fungus (Dacryopinax spathularia). It can be found on downed branches and twigs, dead trees, and old construction lumber, which is where I found this one. My poor old front deck is over twenty years old and definitely in need of replacing. We’re in the process of replacing the old lumber, but some of it is still out there. After heavy rains the, the jelly fungus springs up on several parts of the deck. I liked it’s coloration, especially in association with the moss that grows on the old wood too. Even though it’s an indicator that my wood is going bad, it’s still pretty cool to look at and photograph. The unusual shapes kind of remind me of an abstract painting. What do you think?

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