You never know what will be brought to the UW-Extension office for identification…have you ever seen this type of growth on a branch before?  We sent this video and some pictures in to the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for identification.  The sample came from a Japanese Lilac.  The lab sent back that this is a jelly fungi and might be of the species Auricularia auricula, commonly called the tree-ear or wood-ear.  The lab said “The look is right and the time of year is right for when this fungus typical fruits (May-June). This fungus is not a pathogen.”