Have you ever seen this stuff in the woods? Please say, “yes.” Please say you know what it is!
It was both on top of and below some arching branches. The branches, I’m pretty sure, were already dead, so I don’t think it’s like the gummosis that you sometimes see on living Black Cherry trees. I always find the goo where bark is peeling away from the branch.
Here’s another view where the goo was hanging out below the branch…
I wish I had investigated the shrub a bit more. But my dog was misbehaving and I had to chase after her. Oh Lolli… Here’s a shot of something that might be the same thing…
I took this one at Audubon where we were looking for signs of Viburnum Leaf Beetle. We found some on this shrub. And we found goo… So I know this is viburnum:
I checked Jelly Fungi pictures until I was cross-eyed… none seemed to match. Then again, fungi change so much throughout their life span, it’s hard to tell. Or is it just a gum produced by the tree?… Like I said, I really don’t think so, since the branches all seem to be dead… at least the bark is peeling off…
It’s pretty common, though… so I’m hoping someone out there knows! Thanks in advance for your help.
A Passion for Nature 
It looks like dried witch’s butter to me. It gets a good deal darker as it ages and dries up, in my experience.
I’ve seen similar a number of times, also on dead-appearing branches/stumps, however I have no idea what it is! Very interesting stuff, tho!
I just saw something somewhat similar, on a dead chokecherry branch, but it didn’t appear as gooey.
Hmm, I had wondered if maybe it was just hardened tree sap? Maybe some kind of harden slime mold??
I don’t know what it is, but goo is funny. Like nature’s joke on us. You’ve been slimed. 🙂
I want to see goo!
wood ears This fungus grows on the dead branches of poplars and elms in the Eastern US. It frequently makes appearances in Chinese cuisine
Hmm… Thank you, Huajia!