What is this? 9 October 2020 at 5:45PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 8 replies 192 views

bouicca21

Two of these fungi have appeared in the garden, one in a flower bed and one in the grass.  They have grown very quickly.  What are they?  Never had anything like it before, what has caused them to grow?

Black_Cat2

Whilst you're waiting for a sensible response from the lovely peeps here... 

Have you seen any fairies dancing around it after dark by any chance?  😹

bouicca21

Perhaps I should stay up all night to see them.

Black_Cat2

It sure looks weird, you never know it may be a new species of mushroom/fungi and bag you millions! 🤞

theoretica

Fungi do that - they live hidden and then pop up quickly when they conditions are right to spore.   There are so many similar mushrooms that ID from photos is pretty hard, but it could be bad news for trees in the form of honey fungus.

bouicca21

If it’s honey fungus does it need treating?  The garden has some well established huge old trees but the two fungus groups were some 50/60 feet away from them.  I dug up the one In the flower bed but probably didn’t get it all.  That flower bed has previously had trees, but they were removed and the stumps ground.  The photo is the one in the middle of the grass. The management company’s gardener will turn up to mow the grass sometime in the next couple of weeks and presumably chop the fungus down.  Will that be enough to protect the trees?

theoretica

Sadly, if it is honey fungus it can't be treated, I believe you need to rely on the trees' health.

Farway

Doesn't look like honey fungus, just some unknown toadstool "thing" that popped up when conditions were right. Could just be from a spore blown in on the wind

Honey fungus  can be smelt as well as seen, maybe worth sniffing to set your mind at rest 

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/solve-problems/honey-fungus/

Davesnave

Yes, but be like Bill Clinton and don't inhale.....

"Ahh never sniffed toadstools with that woman!"