WiseAcre Gardens

What’s That Fungus?

I found these tiny mushrooms growing on an old rotting log.  Give me a nickle for each one and I’ll be happy to skip the name

A close up view of the mushroom mass

A cool looking mushroom landscape.

The mushroom caps were tiny and not much larger than the spore pods of the surrounding moss

…and now for something completely different
Spider Babys

Wish I had gotten a better family photo.

Suspend your disbelief. Now visualize a lost world with lush green vegetation punctuated with strange otherworldly growths throughout the landscape.

Now place yourself in this scene. Yummy.

It figures, I can never hold down my fungus. Sorry about upchucking on the stump and making a slimy mess.

Ah, carbonated slime

Only a couple of feet away a really weird structure had grown from the forest floor. It had a familiar look about it but the form was all wrong. This has the look and feel of a shelf mushroom that I often find. The colors and hard shellac finish seem to be the same as the Hemlock Varnish Shelf Mushroom but there are two big differences. Like I said, the form is all wrong and where am I supposed to peak at the underside to see the pore surface? This thing had no bottom and the top was like the growing edge of the normal form. It must be a Mobius Strip Mushroom

See the similarities?

Hemlock Varnish Shelf Mushroom – Ganoderma tsugae

I figured it best to call the Army. Never take any chances when dealing with mutants.

The advance force reported their small arms had no effect. Clearly a more effective unit had to be deployed.

Bacon makes everything better!

…and now for something completely different
Something just didn’t look right in this photo. You get 2 guesses what it is.

A bumble bee was taking advantage of some bugleweed flowers.

Ajuga Reptans ‘Caitlin’s Giant

I tried out this variety last year. It wintered over nicely and is already sending out runners. I’m going to get more. It can be invasive but isn’t that what you want when planting a ground cover? Besides, bugleweed is shallow rooted and easy enough to control. That is unless you wait until it’s established in the lawn and too late.

Here’s the bumble I promised

…and now I’ll leave you with some fungus.

Dryad Saddle – Polyporus squamosus

AKA – Pheasant’s-back Polypore.
This mushroom grows from deciduous wood, both living and dead. In my experience – mostly dead. It is edible but older specimens are supposedly too tough to eat. Another field guide states the tender edges of the caps can be pickled, sauteed or fried. I prefer mine photographed.

They weren’t kidding when they named it Polyporus.

Dryad Saddles are a reminder to start looking for Morels. Lilacs beginning to bloom + Dryad Saddles = Morel Season. I won’t eat those either but have friends that will.