Sprayed On Specks: Meet the Real Life “Plants vs. Zombies” Fungus Who Lives at Your House

When my kids were younger, one of their favorite books was “Freckle Juice,” a tale about a boy who would try almost anything to rid himself of the little specks across his nose. Now, with high moisture and temperatures edging toward the 70s and low 80s, the conditions are ripe for another kind of tenacious freckling. If you look hard enough, you can find these specks on almost every surface imaginable.

You’re about to meet a real life “Plant vs. Zombies” character, so get ready to impress the kids.

The culprit at large is the “artillery” or “cannon” fungus. When this little “fun guy” reaches maturity, it assumes a star shape then forcibly ejects a spherical egg into the environment, toward a light source. Its Latin name, sphaerobolus stellatus, may be roughly translated as “sphere throwing star.” The name fits. When the projectile sphere splats onto surfaces, it may have been propelled as many as 14 feet. Then, when its sticky surface dries, the disk is almost impossible to remove.

Hence, the freckles.

Like that kid in the book, some people will try almost anything to rid themselves of the tiny, pin-head sized objects found on everything from cars to wooden benches, vinyl siding to glass windows, kids’ bikes and more. Good luck with that. Truthfully, if Lady MacBeth’s castle was located in these mountains, she might suggest we be prepared. Any surface where removal is needed may be permanently marked by attempts to get rid of those darned spots.

In recent years, an increase in the use of wood chips as mulch around our houses and in our houseplants has created the perfect conditions for rotting wood and fruiting fungi bodies. In late spring and early fall in the Southern Appalachians, it’s like a day at the seashore for spores. Let the good times roll. At this time, there aren’t any EPA approved fungicides recommended to eradicate the fungus, and removal is difficult if not nearly impossible. You just about can’t hire anyone in the home services industry who’s willing to take on the project.

This year, if you’re going to use wood chips, why not choose pine or hardwood? Our little fungus friends don’t like to live on those woods as much as others, though they do like animal dung fertilizers. Also, if you have this problem, layering is only a temporary fix. The fungus can survive for more than a decade underneath a blanket of fresh wood chips. One option is to remove the offending wood chips, burning them to get rid of the fungus at the source.

Anecdotal evidence from across the region suggests starting with a spray down using a mouthwash, like Listerine™, which has antiseptic (kills bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses) and disinfectant (kills bacteria, viruses and fungi). This, when followed by a 5-10 minute wait, makes it possible to scrub to remove the specs with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser™ or similar product containing bleach. Other folks have used an ink eraser to remove smudges from their car’s paint jobs, and a paint scraper to try and clear windows or to remove scores of spores from siding before painting.

My suggestion is to start with the items you have on hand and test the combinations in unobtrusive locations to see what works. I suggest you try an old fashioned bucket of bleach water, though to protect the environment you may want to try eco-friendly, non-chlorinated bleach products first.

Tips and Tricks

1. Exercise caution so as not to combine chlorinated bleach with ammonia and/or acids, as the results can be fatal to humans, not fungus.
2. Any and all applications will require a goodly helping of elbow grease, so enlist energetic help.
3. The fallout can be annoying when the spores finally give way, so you may want to wear goggles.

When covered in the mess, it’s entirely possible the plants (or your kids) will mistake you for a zombie in their midst, so feel free to growl about the trouble this is causing you.

All kidding aside, if your problem doesn’t abate, it’s possible there are other factors at play that indicate problems with dampness and decay. Short term, it’s not a big deal, but long term problems can be scary expensive to fix. If you can’t tell which is which, get in touch, we can help.