Looks like a honey mushroom.
That is a honey mushroom almost 100% sure. They grow usually on exposed roots or roots close to the soil surface. There are a lot of varieties. They usually have yellow coloring and grow in clusters in the areas I stated. They are parasitic and will most likely kill the host tree. I’ve seen it happen. They suck the nutrients from the tree. It is also the largest organism in the world growing in Oregon. Something like 2 miles long feeding on the living trees.
Very cool to know!
I know some people who hunt with me who have. They need to be boiled for a long time. I wouldn’t eat them. To many people don’t cook right and there are types that people should avoid eating. But some are ok. To hard to identify the right kinds and the right way to cook for me. I stick with hen of the woods and lions mane. One you start to get a week of consistent cool weather in the 40s and 50’s go hike in an area with old maples and white oaks. You will most likely find hen of the woods at the base of old hardwoods. They are good! Lions mane grows on dead hardwood. The change in temperature triggers the respond for fall mushrooms find most in early fall. This is a pic of hen of the woods at the base of a maple. Both clusters the size of my head lol
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You definitely don't want honey fungus (Armillaria) anywhere near your trees! As RKMcGinnis says, they're parasitic to roots - acer, beech, birch, holly, apple, hydrangea, viburnum, magnolia, pear, rhododendron, rose and lilac are all very susceptible.
Yeah, never have. Don't plan to...but still curious.I would be VERY VERY VERY careful gathering your own edible mushrooms. If you're wrong about toxicity of what you have, you could poison yourself pretty severely.
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How can you tell edible mushrooms from poison mushrooms in the wild? Learning the difference takes study. Here are some examples.
It took me a year of mushroom hunting and learning before I had the confidence to pick and eat a wild mushroom. Now it’s common for me to come home with mushrooms lol. Mushroom taco’s are great!I would be VERY VERY VERY careful gathering your own edible mushrooms. If you're wrong about toxicity of what you have, you could poison yourself pretty severely.
| EarthSky
How can you tell edible mushrooms from poison mushrooms in the wild? Learning the difference takes study. Here are some examples.
That’s smart. Parasol have a a good bit of close look alikes. I see them. I don’t really like collecting unless there is a lot that is worth the time and enough for a meal. Or to dry for tea or future soup. There is a very interesting mycologist called trad cotter. He was on the forefront of studying the difference between wild and non wild fungi. He discusses it on a ted talk. It is extremely fascinating. I recommend watching. It blew my mind!
I thought Pando to be the largest living organism in the world at 108 acres, estimated 14,000 yrs old.
Yes, indeed. Michigan's Upper Peninsula has a Humungous Fungus, too. Then there's the Great Banyan Tree in India.
Should of said one of the largest lol. @Leo in N E Illinois is right. Hard to compare different kingdoms to each other. I’ve heard the mycelium mat being the largest so much because I read a lot of mushroom related material. People always want their field to sound as significant as it can I guess. Lol I think it’s all fascinating though. Interesting to read about and hear the arguments of what constitutes the largest.
Yeh within kingdoms would be different for sure.
Honey mushrooms almost 100% of the time will be in clusters sharing a base. If you don’t see that then most likely it’s not a honey. If you look at photo’s of them online. They all are in clusters. I have several different yellow mushrooms that appear in my containers every year. But they don’t show the characteristics of honeys as they are singles sprouting from different areas in the pot. And the trees are healthy so I figure it’s symbiotic. I researched them years ago forgot the name but found out they weren’t bad. Some fungi form better relationships with different plants. Really interesting.
