We’ve had more rain in East Tennessee, and that means more mushrooms on the mountain. On yesterday’s hike, I ran into this interesting configuration, which made me think of a tree or a shrub made of mushrooms.
Note: if you see these mushrooms out and about, DON’T EAT THEM! They’re poisonous.
And here’s an angle which shows, in more detail, the structure of the mushrooms’ stems and caps:
Here are the mushrooms from the other side:
And from the top:
It’s a regular Shroomopolis on that hill!
30 Comments
Hee, hee, a regular Shroomsville. So clever they cluster like that. Ones imagination could go wild with the possibilities of who might live there.
(((((((((hopefull little fairy, hugs, KS))))))))))))))
Isn’t it cool? Yes indeed, perhaps it’s a fairy condominium!
((((((((((((fairy hugs to you, dear KS)))))))))))))))
They’re just making me hungry – reminding me of toasted cheese (and mushrooms) – luurvely photos.
lovely photos, i love mushrooms and fungi!
Did you see any Whos on those shrooms? They could be mingling and mixing up there, you know!
We need rain. Send some our way, will you please? Our trees even LOOK thirsty.
I’d live in Shroomopolis.
*grin*, Gabrielle! They do look like toasted cheese, don’t they?
Thanks, Crafty Green Poet! Yeah, me too — and there have been so many varied and delightful fungi on the mountain this year.
hehe, Susan! “Whos” — I love it. Hope they are mingling and mixing there! And I wish I could send you some rain. We’ve had so much, we’ve got plenty to spare.
Me too, Leah! Shroomopolis looks like a great place to live.
It’s kind of a bouquet, I think. Or maybe a shroomquet.
Shroomquet! I love it, Bunnygirl. I can just imagine it: “Here you are, daaahling… a shroomquet and chocolates!”
You had that imported from space, right?
You know the Swiss make cheese factory complexes modeled on those?
But fairy condos do sound more a propos. Yeah! And the fairies drink a lot of moss tea. And dance with tadpoles where the squirrels bag their nuts for the winter.
Sorry. Must. Have. Sleep.
LOL! Shrooms…. in…. SPACE. And cracking up at the Swiss cheese factory analogy.
Yes, sleep is good, but delightful comments are good, too! Fairies would have no shortage of moss for their tea, that’s for sure. And dancing with tadpoles sounds like fun! They have a mighty cute wiggle (the tadpoles — heck, maybe the fairies, too).
xoxo xoxo
Beautiful Shroomopolis ready for some worldmaking.
Thanks, Squirrel!
The forest and all life therein is among my greatest inspirations.
Saw your picture on Coast to Coast AM. I believe those are what you call ‘jack-o-lantern’ mushrooms/fungi. there’s a patch coming up near me in Asheville. The really cool thing about these is that if you take one into a dark room, they glow in the dark! btw. they are NOT edible…fairly poisonous, as far as I know.
Jeanne
Hi, Jeanne! I’m tickled to have my shroom picture on Coast to Coast. And I appreciate your info on the shrooms! Next time I go on a hike, I’ll have to pick one of those mushrooms, take it home, and watch it glow.
It’s amazing, the variety of mushrooms I’ve seen on the mountain this year. And good advice re: not eating them — I’d never eat any mushroom unless I’m absolutely sure what it is.
Thanks for visiting and commenting!
The first question, are they edible? Don’t get many mushrooms in Iraq (or Las Vegas, my home). Saw this on Coast to Coast Web Site.
Hi, Kevin! Nope, don’t think they’re edible. Jeanne, upthread, said she thinks they’re a poisonous variety of mushroom. I never eat any mushroom unless I’m absolutely sure what it is, but I sure like looking at them on the mountain and photographing them.
Yup, I’m sure not many shrooms in Iraq or Las Vegas! Take care, and thanks for visiting and commenting.
They look more like a clustered Chantrelle which would be very edible, I have to see a clear photo to see if they have gills(jack o lantern) or veins =Chantrelle
I am Lithuanian and have picked mushrooms
my whole life with my Dad and Grandparents. I believe
these are called Muttermorchies.
Simply cut off low to ground and
place in a good basket. Then clean off stems/ cut stems off close to underneath mushroom. Then rinse 3X times in a large calendar–carefully handle and do not bag around:
Heat up lots of butter/onions/salt/pepper/ in an iron
skillet: then add the mushrooms; cook for 20 minutes steady heat steering frequently; add a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Try one tiny piece of mushroom and wait 45 minutes before eating more.
Hi, Rob! Thanks for the info. I wish I were more knowledgeable about mushrooms. It’s staggering, the variety I’ve seen on the mountain this summer. And Don, that sounds like a fabulous recipe for mushrooms.
Thanks, both of you, for visiting and commenting.
One time I had this flurry of delightful comments on my blog from some glass-ceilinged double star system creatures, but I ended up having to spam them all, cause it seemed their I.P.s had hi-jacked my silly system and I was like, serious, on my blog for like, a day. And it devastated blue bunny’s fragile ego, not to mention his new hair-cut and his ancient mantra he instantly forgot.
He’s got a new one, tho. But he ain’t sharin’ it with me.
Saw these on Coasttocoast. What great pictures! I love mushrooms, and here is Connecticut, I see mushrooms the size of dinner plates.
My grandmother was quite the mushroom picker, but I wouldn’t chance it. I wish I knew more about them, because wild mushrooms have a wonderful flavor that just isn’t found in supermarket varieties.
Thank you for sharing!
I’ve never seen anything like that before. It is a magical wood you live in.
lol, Jannie Jump-About! I’m sorry you had to spam the glass-ceilinged double star system creatures for hijacking, much to poor blue bunny’s distress. I’m sure he will share his cool new ancient mantra with you soon. (And I bet he’s having a good hair day, too). xoxo
Thanks, Nancy! Glad you enjoyed. How fascinating that your gram was a mushroom-picker. I wish I had the knowledge of herbs and mushrooms that people from older times had. I don’t chance it, but if I could be sure that a mushroom was safe, I’d pick a bunch of them, bring them home, and cook them up. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting.
Hi, Paul! The woods certainly are magical — one of my life’s great delights.
this is very interesting,but………………i always say, i assume that all mushroom are POISONOUS!, or the political correct to say, their TOXIC!.
Thank You.
Hi, Scott! Yes, me too — I don’t assume any mushroom is safe to eat. I simply lack the knowledge and expertise to make that determination, so I photograph them, look at them, but never eat them.
Thanks for visiting and commenting!
The city of a Mushroom Cap-ital it is! What pretty Fungi having Pig-Pile Fun-
hehe, Pig-Pile fun — great description, Snaggle!
DO NOT EAT THESE!! The comment from Jeanne is correct, They are “Jack-o-Lanterns”; They are ‘poisonous’, which means that they cause severe gastro-intestinal upset as well as severe sweating, shakes, diarhea, etc. They are often mistaken for Chantrelles, as they have similar looks as the Golden variety. (Their ‘gills’ are attached and go right up the stem onto the bottom of the ‘cap’ itself.)They grow off of old stumps or other partially buried wood products.
The comments from a less informed Lithuanian could get someone hurt, so I had to put in my 2 cents.
Oh, and yes, they do glow in the dark! Definitely a Shroom for the season!!
Thanks, Jdaniels, for visiting and commenting, and for clarifying what type of mushrooms these are! I never eat any of the mushrooms I find on the mountain because I just don’t have the expertise to be certain what they are, so I don’t take any chances. But you’re right, I’d hate for previous comments in this thread that misidentify the shrooms to cause somebody to take chances on something that would be very bad for them — I very much appreciate your two cents!
hehe, a Shroom for the Season — that is so cool that they glow in the dark.