Category Archives: Slime Moulds

Slime moulds are not a plants or animals. They are a huge collection of single-celled organisms called Protozoa. When the conditions are correct (similar to lawn fungi) they bloom and spore in huge numbers. This is the structure which becomes a slime mould. Once they release their spores for the next generation, they collapse and die.

Slime moulds on lawns

A slime mould can look like an extremely odd growth on a lawn, almost alien. They appear quickly and can disappear almost as quickly.

They can be yellow, white or grey and black. They cover all areas of the UK but only appear on lawns when the conditions are right for them. Usually humid conditions, such as early spring.

Find out more about slime moulds in these blog posts.

Grey Slime Mould (Physarum cinereum)

Autumn seems to be the season of the slime mould. I recently found this fantastic Grey Slime Mould (physarum cinereum) on a lawn in Exmouth. Grey Slime Mould is a collection of single-celled organisms. They look like sooty deposits spilled on the grass. Spread over several metres this one stood out as something rather curious. Almost like spilled paint.

Question: Is this a slime mould?

I was sent these lovely photographs from a reader in December 2018 regarding a strange growth on her grass. She briefly writes: Is this slime mould? Erika Thank you Erika for the question and the brilliant pictures. Yes, that is a great example of a slime mould. If you have a look at a photographs of this dog… Read More »

Dog Sick Slime Mould (Mucilago crustacea)

This wonderful example of a slime mould recently appeared on my test lawn. It is a great example of the colourfully named Dog Sick Slime Mould (Mucilago crustacea). This example was about 30cm in length and a bright cream colour. It almost shone compared to the green grass surrounding it. It appeared very quickly (overnight) and then had… Read More »

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