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I would say that I am particularly fond of fungi.
What is it that makes people think that molds are creepy things?.....it is simply their lack of knowledge and understanding!
When the scientifically interested person finds a mold growing on something, the first thing he should reach for is the microscope.
Like trees, fungi have a kind of Machiavellian intelligence, which enables them to compete and thrive. But, of course, fungi are more animal-like in the way that they feed, as well being more similar to animals than trees in their protein structures.
Even a single cell has a significant amount of embodied 'intelligence', if intelligence means the ability to do complex computations in response to environmental stimuli, and then to decide on appropriate responses.
The way in which individual cells compute is beautifully described (and without over-simplification) in the book "Wetware" by Dennis Bray
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