Sydney homeowner's shock after backyard tree started dropping blob-like 'jellyfish' - here's the explanation for the bizarre sight

Sydney homeowner saw strange clear blobs on grass  The blobs resembled clear glue or translucent jellyfish  Substance comes from the Illawarra Flame Tree  READ MORE: Mystery creature dubbed 'The Blob' washes up on Aussie beach

A baffled homeowner was left stunned after mysterious ‘jellyfish’ like blobs appeared under a tree in their backyard.

The homeowner found the jelly-like sacs on the grass in the yard of their Sydney apartment complex.

Pictures shared to Reddit this week showed a number of clear, gooey sacs on the grass under a Flame Tree.

The perplexed local captioned the images with a question and asked social media users why their ‘tree is dropping jellyfish’.

Some joked that the strange substance was ‘tree snot’ while others claimed it was ‘melted bananas’.

The baffled homeowner stumbled upon the jellyfish-like blobs while in the yard of his Sydney apartment complex

The strange gel substance was produced by the Illawarra Flame Tree’s seed pods (pictured) and is a protective mechanism ensuring the tree is not damaged or attacked by pests

However, Chief Scientist of Education and Conservation at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Professor Brett Summerell, explained there was a simple reason behind the odd discharge.

Professor Summerell said the substance occurs after particularly wet and humid weather.

‘This happens in Illawarra Flame Trees and Kurrajongs (both Brachychiton species) in years when the weather is warmish and humid and there has been lots of rain,’ Prof Summerell told Yahoo News.

‘The trees produce the gel from the seed pods and from wounds on the branches and trunk.

‘It is a protective mechanism and a way of ensuring that the tree is not damaged or attacked by pests.’

The sappy mixture is quite caustic and can cause damage if left atop an unfortunately-parked car.

Like Jacarandas, Flame trees can flower on bare branches, but only occasionally – every five years

Professor Summerell added the tree species produces only a small amount of the substance in drier years to help minimise water loss.

Like Jacarandas, flame trees can flower on bare branches, but only occasionally – every five years.

At this time of year, most trees feature claw-shaped leaves and seed pods if they’ve flowered.

Australia is renowned for its unique wildlife and is home to more than one million different species of flora and fauna.

About 93 per cent of Australia’s flora and fauna can not be found anywhere else in the world.