The fibrous, root-like portion of a fungus, mycelium is essential in breaking down organic matter and moving nutrients around.
In this case, I just think it's beautiful!
The structure is so fascinating -- tree-like, fractal in its branching.
I'm always happy to see these fibers forming in my mulch, as I know that the wood chips are turning into good stuff, which will make its way into my soil for the plants to find.
If you want to learn more, here are a couple of great TED talks about mycelium:
Mycelium as replacement for styrofoam products
The power of mycelium, and how it will save the world
Also: the Wikipedia page on mycelium
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I often find mycelium when I move bark chips aside to plant a new plant, etc. Some people think there's something bad happening; I guess we're overly conditioned to recoil at the sight of anything that looks like mold or rot.
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