PHOTO ESSAY
Fungi Growing in Fall
A load of interesting creatures coming out of the soggy soil
It is that time of the season. Residents are raking leaves 24/7. With every breath of wind, a new load of leaves drops down on the streets and into the garden. Leaves are blocking sewer canals and can cause flooding. In town.
Not so much in nature. Here, a layer of leaves is the fertilizer for next year’s soil. Also, a layer of fallen leaves on the ground does keep the moisture in the soil and helps fungi to grow.
It mostly rained at night since I’m back at my parent's place but the forest is kept cool and wet. The sun isn’t strong anymore and doesn’t come up high on the horizon.
The path leading through the forest is covered in a layer of fallen leaves.
It’s beautiful. This is fall.
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald
As I am walking down the road admiring the beautiful colors of fall my thoughts move on to mushrooms. I’m thinking there must be many of them hidden underneath the bed of fallen leaves.
My eyes move along the ditch on the side of the road and it doesn’t take long before I spot the first kind of fungi. Its head is tilted and twisted in a weird way but the bright white color is standing out from the yellow and brown bed of fallen leaves.
I look no further than two steps and spot the next species. Another mushroom. Some thin, hairy lines catch my attention and I go far down on the forest floor to get those shapes into the frame.
A few meters further a weird, maybe a bit disgustingly looking pile of mushrooms grows right at the edge of the tarred road. It appears to be only one plant with multiple heads of fungi growing out of the middle. But the pile of mushrooms seems to be taken over by a layer of mold.
Can one fungus kill another one?
I walk no further but just turn my camera a bit and spot another mushroom covered in a whitish layer. Is that also mold? It seems to be very moist at this particular spot in the forest.
I continue moving forward on my trail and find some more appealing mushrooms. Their surface is flat and the heads do look edible. But I know too little about fungi to even dare to touch any of them.
“All mushrooms are edible, but some only once in a lifetime.” — Linda Vanoudenhaegen
Leaving the forest behind I head out onto the fields. A few more steps and I made it to my parent's garden. We’re having lunch here today because we have such a gorgeous day in October.
“From dead plant matter to nematodes to bacteria, never underestimate the cleverness of mushrooms to find new food.” — Paul Stamets
More about mushrooms:
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