Posted on Wednesday 11/24

Facing Up to the Problem of Shotgun Fungus in your Landscape Design

Ah, your landscape design has that sharp, crisp appearance after your application of hardwood bark mulch. The mulch maintains an even soil temperature and retains moisture. However, within this wonderful mulch there is a new culprit in town" Sphaerobolus stellatus, aka 'shotgun fungus' or 'artillery fungus' that colonizes wood-based mulches.

It is not uncommon for fungi to grow in the mulch around your house in those hot, humid weeks of summer. Most of these fungi are harmless to humans and your plants. However, there is one, 'shotgun fungus' that can literally attack your house with little tiny brown spots!

What IS Shotgun Fungus?

Sphaerobolus stellatus derived its' name, 'Shotgun fungus', from the manner in which it spreads. The fungus forms tiny pin-head size bulbs that collect water and other matter. These bulbs are light sensitive and once the bulb is mature, they explode in the direction of the light source spreading the fungus in many different directions just like a shotgun.

In a good wind shotgun fungus bulbs can explode and cover a distance as far as twenty feet. The picture above shows the result on the side of a house.

How to Remove Shotgun Fungas from Your Garden

It must be noted that shotgun fungus does not affect plant health; rather it is considered a nuisance aesthetic problem on side of a building, an automobile, or just about anything within its range.

Shotgun fungus is extremely hard to remove from objects it adheres to. Soap, water and a lot of elbow grease will remove it; however, it is very difficult to completely remove it. The application of fungicides for the problem is not recommended.

A possible solution for controlling this problem is to add a layer of bark or another type of mulch over the shotgun fungus infested wood mulch. This will aid in blocking the spore masses from reaching nearby vulnerable surfaces.