For some, it is a reminder of home.
The smell is all thanks to the state’s unique mud known lovingly as “pluff mud.”
What Is Pluff Mud?
Credit: ehrlif/Getty Images
The mud is unique toSouth Carolina’s salt marshes.
How Did Pluff Mud Get Its Name?
During the early 19th century, farmers used the marshland mud in their cotton fields as a fertilizer.
Back then, “plow” was spelled “plough,” and hence where it got its name.
Both of the spellings and pronunciations can be used interchangeably.
Why Does Pluff Mud Smell?
Due to all the decomposing matter and the bacteria that consume it, the mud creates an unpleasant stench.
For some, however, that smell is the smell of home.
The nutrients put off a sulfur gas, which causes adistinct aroma.
Thanks to the pluff mud, many organisms are able to thrive.
Pluff mud also helps control coastal flooding because it has a sponge-like ability to absorb water from storms.
What Lives In Salt Marshes?
Some of these creatures are oysters, shrimp, fish, andblue crabs.
Never smelled pluff mud?
Leave a few rotten eggs out for a day.
That’s about as close as you’ll get to the smell of pluff mud.
It hides sharp oyster shells beneath its surface, and theyve been known to cause injury when stepped on.
Pluff mud can also be dangerous if you start to sink.
South Carolina Department of Natural ResourcesSea Science.Dynamics of the Salt Marshes.
