Mushrooms are popping up everywhere; Should you be worried?
Autumn is mushroom season, but what does it mean for your yard and your health?
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After the wet and humid summer we've had, you may notice mushrooms popping up everywhere, and it can happen in just hours. There's a misconception that mushrooms are bad sign, but seeing these can sometimes be a sign your soil is healthy. However, some of our local mushrooms are deadly or cause other severe adverse effects.
What is a mushroom?
The mushroom cap you're seeing is really just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the organism is hidden underground or inside decaying wood as a network of microscopic threads that form the mycelium. When conditions are right (ie, wet and humid) the mycelium produces a mushroom, which releases spores that allow the fungus to reproduce.
That explains why mushrooms can seem to appear so quickly. The fungus itself was probably already there. The rain did not create it overnight. Instead, the moisture and environmental conditions triggered the fungus to produce its reproductive structures.
Why are they popping up right now?
After substantial rain, soil and organic material become saturated with water. Combine that moisture with late-summer and early-fall temperatures, and you can get excellent conditions for fungal growth and reproduction.
Mushrooms often appear on decomposing material which is why there is a misconception that they're a sign of a problem. However, the presence of mushrooms on your lawn or in your soil is a sign of an active and healthy ecosystem. Without fungi, trees and plants couldn't exist .
There are exceptions. Certain fungi can contribute to plant diseases, and mushrooms growing directly from the base of a tree can sometimes be associated with decay inside the tree. In that situation, the mushroom can be more important as a warning sign about what is happening below the surface than as the actual problem.
Some of the most common mushrooms you may see
The exact species appearing in your yard depends on your soil, trees, mulch and moisture. Some mushrooms look very similar so never identify a mushroom from appearance alone.
Fairy rings are another familiar sight. These are circles or arcs of mushrooms growing through turf as fungal mycelium expands outward underground. In some cases, the grass inside or around the ring may also become darker or greener because of nutrients released as organic material decomposes. There are several species and while some are edible, others are toxic.
Puffballs can also appear in lawns and garden beds. Instead of releasing spores from gills like many familiar mushrooms, mature puffballs release clouds of spores when disturbed. They are edible when picked at the right time, but will make you sick if they are not picked at the right time. There are some toxic species that look similar to an untrained eye.
You may also encounter stinkhorns, which are among the strangest-looking fungi in the garden. Despite their gross look, they aren't deadly. They can appear remarkably quickly and produce a distinctive odor that attracts flies, which help disperse their spores (and makes them completely disgusting to even imagine eating)
Viewer photos identified
We asked an expert, Dr. James White from Rutgers University to help identify some of the common mushrooms viewers sent in this week.
False parasol mushroom forms fairy rings often on lawns. This is a toxic mushroom that is very common in our area. Eating this would cause extreme gastrointestinal symptoms. Dr. White says this could be the most commonly mistakenly eaten mushroom because it's common and very similar to an edible mushroom species.
Chicken of the woods in its earlier stages. This mushroom is edible and is usually found directly attached to the base of tree trunks. It's edible and is used as a substitute for chicken in recipes.
Honey Mushroom are a parasitic mushroom that is a sign of of decay if it's growing with a plant nearby. Not edible.
Black Staining Mushroom is a very common summer and autumn mushroom that grows in large, rosette-shaped clusters at the base of hardwood trees (especially oaks). It's safe but commonly mistaken for Hen of the Woods which fruits earlier and is tastier.
A major hazard for pet owners.
While some mushrooms are harmless, there are common mushrooms like the Destroying Angel, Death Cap, and false morsels that create irreversible damage to internal organs. Fatalities from mushrooms are considered rare but it's important to keep children and pets far away from anything you don't recognize.
If mushrooms are appearing in your lawn after rain and you don't want them there, you can simply mow them down or remove the visible fruiting bodies. It won't eliminate the fungus though. You're removing the reproductive structure, not the extensive mycelium underground.
Fungicides generally aren't necessary simply because mushrooms appeared. If the mushrooms aren't damaging plants or indicating a potential tree problem, they're often better viewed as a temporary part of the garden ecosystem.
And with the right combination of drying weather and changing temperatures, many of those mushrooms will disappear almost as quickly as they arrived.
