Rain is essential for keeping your trees, lawn, and other plants alive and well. In some cases, however, you may notice that after it rains you see some weird green blobs on your property.

Most people tend to think that they are bunches of decomposing leaves, grass clippings, or even algae, but that is not the case.

They are actually something called Nostoc, or more casually, troll’s butter or star jelly.

They are a genus of cyanobacteria and can form into very large colonies. They are found in many different climates and can live both on land and water.

While this thing might be ugly, it is actually an important part of the ecosystem. The Nostoc gathers energy through photosynthesize, but it can also absorb UV radiation, and it helps to fix nitrogen in the soil so that other plants can grow better.

Just as impressive is its ability to survive being frozen and thawed multiple times without a problem. Then there is its ability to survive drying out completely and then being restored when exposed to water. This is the feature that shows why most people only notice them after it rains.

When it is dried out, it looks like a brown or black material that can easily blend in with soil, leaves, or even parking lots or driveways. Once they are exposed to water again, they will turn right back slimy and green so that it can start growing again.

This thing is certainly interesting, but it may become extremely important to the future of humanity. Its ability to thrive in many different extreme conditions, the fact that it can produce oxygen, and that it is edible (it is considered a delicacy in China) all mean that it may be ideal for helping to establish livable colonies on the moon or other planets.

It would be possible to load some of the Nostoc onto a starship while it is dried out so that it weighs very little. Once it arrives at the destination, it can be exposed to water so that it can start growing and producing oxygen.

Of course, it needs to be proven that it can survive in the often harsh environments of space, but the fact that it is so durable here on Earth gives some people hope. Supporters want to start testing it as soon as possible to see if this gross-looking plant may be what the first humans living on another planet eat on a regular basis.

For now, however, it is just good to know what that slime is that forms on your lawn or driveway after its rains.

I can’t imagine eating that stuff, it looks gross!

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