Black mold is distinct from other molds because it tends to be dark black. Black mold, is also known as Stachybotrys chartarum or Stachybotrys atra, and can be found indoors growing on a variety of surfaces, especially things with a high cellulose content like wood, fiberboard, paper, lint and dust. Black mold can also be a greenish or grayish black. It has a distinctive odor that’s musty and mildew-like.

Mold is a type of fungus that grows in filaments and reproduces by forming mold spores that can’t be seen by the eye. Mold can grow and thrive in any season, indoors or outdoors, in damp, warm and humid environments, and it spreads like fire. Mold itself flourishes in warm, moist environments, but mold spores can actually survive in harsh, dry environments. The spores float around in indoor and outdoor air. When the spores land on a moist surface, the mold can then start to grow.

Black mold is most likely to appear in areas of the home that are warm, humid and damp. In addition to showers, basements and crawlspaces that may have leaks, or some other sources of moisture, are commonly susceptible to the growth of toxic black mold.