Bird’s nest mushrooms benefit soil
Question: I found some mystery pods in the garden when doing some cleanup. One of the pods is closed, and the second is open and with what appears to be small black seeds. Any idea what this is?
These are not pods but what is called bird’s nest mushrooms. These look like tiny little pods with black seed-like things inside them. Like other mushrooms or saprophytic (feed off of dead things) fungi, they survive on decaying organic matter in the soil. We can see these fairly commonly in compost heaps, decaying mulches or other places where organic waste is decomposing. They are interesting, and kids love these little things.
They are nothing to worry about. They feed off of dead plants, so there is no harm to living plants or you. They are decomposers, so they help to break down litter on or in the soil after or during a warm wet period. I attached a fact sheet from Texas A& M on this interesting form of plant life. I will post your pictures on my blog for others to see.
Bob Morris is a professor emeritus in horticulture with the University of Nevada and can be reached at extremehort@aol.com. Visit his blog at xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com.