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News & Stories / Morel Season Has Started! First morels of the year ... coming from a yard near you! Deb • March 1, 2008 Morchella esculenta in yard. Photo by Debbie Johnson My garden mulch of choice has always been shredded redwood gorilla hair. It’s tidy, doesn’t blow around and keeps the weeds down. Last fall I was convinced it was time to try someting else, so we used mini-nugget bark mulch along the side of the garage. I’m fairly sure it’s fir. Another Morchella esculenta in yard. Photo by Debbie Johnson On February 28th, we found eight Morchella esculenta , and will be watching for more. A nice little bonus; I’m liking this chunky bark just fine. Keep an eye out for newly landscaped areas, but be aware: pre-emergent pesticides are sometimes applied, and you don’t want to be eating more than you bargained for. Ask before you eat! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Boletes are Up! Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Yikes! Theres a Fly in My Mushroom! There’s more than just a little extra protein in there! Take a few minutes to get a real inside look at the diligent workers who put the “mush” in mushroom (along with some edibility tips). Hannah Nadel • May 1, 2007 Leccinum manzanitae. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Hannah Nadel (from researchgate.net) Hannah Nadel is a research entomologist, currently with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Parlier, CA. She learned mushroom ID through the Los Angeles Mycological Society in the early 1980s while a graduate student at UC Riverside. While in Victoria, BC, Hannah helped found the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. A tenderhearted soul, she felt bad about all the maggotty mushrooms being chucked out along the trailsides and decided to rear the larvae to the adult stage to identify what species prefer to breed in particular mushrooms. This led to maggoty piles deposited mysteriously on her doorstep after dark and to maggotty mushroom soup in jacket pockets many days after a stroll in the woods. --Debbie Johnson Editors' Note: This article was reprinted with permission from the August 1994 issue of Fungifama , the newsletter of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. The original article is still available as a PDF online, but we are reproducing it here in case that changes in the future. (We also added a few photos to this version.) On a recent plant and insect collecting trip to the southern interior of British Colombia I noticed an interesting human behavior. Oluna Ceska, who seems sane enough, was patting Leccinum mushrooms. After beaming with delight as she spotted each of the rather sporadic Leccinums along the footpath through the woods, Oluna’s expression would change to one of hopeful apprehension as she stooped and patted the brownish cap. She then either picked the mushroom with a triumphant cry, or muttered sounds of disappointment and moved quickly on, her eyes sweeping the ground for further possibilities. Efficient Foragers When animals forage for food, they try to be as efficient as possible. Time is limited and they have much to do. They must find food, eat, wash, sleep, find mates, build nests, and produce and rear offspring within a limited lifetime. Spending too much time on one necessary activity may result in too little time spent on another, and the animal or its offspring could suffer. Clearly, the animal which spends the least amount of time deciding whether something is edible will have more time to spend looking for more food, and will, presumably, end up finding and eating more than a similar animal that spends a lot of time examining a potential tidbit to decide whether it is edible or not. Leccinum scabrum . © Ron Pastorino (from mykoweb.com) What Oluna was doing, I discovered, was minimizing the amount of time she spent deciding whether an edible mushroom was fit for the table or too riddled with worms to bother with (I’m assuming the technique works with mushrooms other than Leccinum ). Rather than pick the mushroom, cut it open, and examine its flesh, she learned that a mushroom that feels firm to the touch is relatively worm-free, and that those that feel spongey or punky are riddled with worm burrows. She can test this with one or two quick pats. As well, Oluna had already reduced the amount of time she has to spend per trip deciding if a mushroom is edible, because she has learned to identify many edible species by sight and doesn’t pat the bad-tasting or poisonous ones. But this story was not meant to be about time management in the life of a mushroom eater. Rather, it was meant to touch on the all-too-familiar “worms” that can turn a mushroom-eater’s delight to dolor, and a mushroom to, well, mush. Too often I get asked about what’s tunneling in a favorite edible, so I’ll give a brief account of what you might find in British Colombia. Are they really worms? First of all, like many things that are not what they seem to be, the worm-like creatures burrowing through your mushroom are not worms. They are insects. More specifically, they are the young of flies or, sometimes, beetles. Insects start their lives as eggs that hatch into larvae, and some, such as flies and beetles, undergo a resting stage, or pupa, before turning into winged adults (others change from larvae directly to adults). All growth occurs during the larval stage, and it’s therefore no surprise that this stage is the most voracious. These eating machines enlarge and fatten, and periodically shed their skin as they outgrow it, finally moulting into a resting pupal stage during which they metamorphose into winged adults. After escaping from the pupal skin, the adults may or may not feed, depending on the species, and they do not shed their skin again. They don’t grow, although the females may expand tremendously while carrying eggs. Fungus gnat larvae on potato slice, from Colorado State University website. In B.C., the most common fly larvae, or maggots, that you’ll find feeding in mushrooms belong to the fungus gnat family, the Mycetophilidae (pronounced my-see-toe-fill-id-ee, from the Greek words for fungus — mykes , and lover — philea ). They are not too hard to distinguish from other maggots in mushrooms because they have very dark heads and strong constrictions along their pale bodies. Like many other maggots, they are soft and thin-skinned, which makes them vulnerable to drying. Living inside a moist mushroom, or, in other cases, in rotting vegetation, protects them from drying and provides them with plenty of fungal tissue to feast on. The eggs are laid directly on the mushroom, usually on the underside in the spaces between the gills or in the pores (depending on what the mushroom has), and within a day or two the tiny, hatchlings begin feeding on these structures. At this stage the mushroom is still perfectly edible and the cap is firm. Bill McGuire found these boletes on the Spring Foray last year and is trying to contain his exuberance. Maybe he should have patted them first? Photo by Vernetta McGuire As they grow, the legless larvae burrow into the flesh of the stem and cap and literally eat themselves out of house and home. The burrows fill with digestive wastes and can be invaded by bacteria and other fungi; they generally appear rather brown or yellowish, and shouldn’t be eaten. If you find a mushroom with burrows in the stem only, it is quite safe to simply discard the stem and cook up the cap. By my standards, a few tunnels in the cap won’t hurt you either, but my gag threshold is perhaps higher than yours. When ready to pupate, after a week or so, fungus gnat larvae usually leave the rubble of the mushroom and pupate in the soil below it. After a few more days the dark, mosquito-like adults emerge, mate, and the females smell their way to a new mushroom on which to lay eggs. They usually prefer young mushrooms, perhaps because these will last longer and also probably because they’re racing against other fungus gnats (and/or other insects) to provide their own offspring with the advantage of being the first on a limited island of food. Miscellaneous Maggots Other maggots you might encounter in a mushroom are the smoother-bodied and pale-headed relatives of the small flies that visit your fruit bowl at home and feature in your genetics class at school. This family of fly is the Drosophilidae (pronounced dro-soh-fill-id-ee, from the Greek words for dew or sap — drosos , and lover — phileo ), also known as pomace flies or even as fruit flies, although they mustn’t be confused with the true fruit flies (family Tephritidae ). Larvae of pomace flies feed on fungi in rotting vegetation, fruit, sap flows on trees, or directly in mushrooms. Their life cycles resemble those of fungus gnats, so I won’t dwell on them further. The adults are quite different from the fungus gnats, being shaped more like a common housefly, but much smaller and usually colored a shiny honey-brown. Those of you who have studied genetics in school will remember the famous “fruit fly”, Drosophila melanogaster , the laboratory rat of the insect world, whose giant salivary-gland chromosomes and rapid reproduction have made it the darling of geneticists. The larvae of this species feed on fungi in rotting fruits. The adults carry fungi or spores on their feet to inoculate ripe, newly-bruised fruit on which they will lay their eggs. Sciara hemerobioides larva. © James Lindsay (from wikipedia.org) Many other families of flies feed at least partly on fungi, some on mushrooms, but most often on fungi that cause decay in plant material or dung. The dark-winged fungus gnats, family Sciaridae (sce-ar-i-dee), from the Greek skieros -shady, because they like shade), are often reported as pests in commercial mushroom houses. They also feed on fungi in decaying plant material such as rotting moss, which is why you might see hordes of them around your overwatered potted plants at home and in greenhouses. They are also rather mosquito-like, delicate and often minute, with dark gray wings. Be sure to count the legs on your maggot, it may really be a baby beetle Like flies, many families of beetles also feed on fungi. Some of them are very beautiful, as is reflected in names like "handsome fungus beetles" and "pleasing fungus beetles." Some feed on mushrooms, but many can handle the tougher woody bracket fungi and other polypores. Unlike flies, the adults often feed on the same stuff as their larvae, and these two stages can be found together in one mushroom. Adult beetles are generally hard-bodied, with a pair of hard outer wings that fit closely over the back like a shell (the soft, transparent flight wings are folded under these protective wings and are not usually visible). The larvae are often wormlike, but, unlike maggots, they have three pairs of legs on the underside just behind the head, and the head is hard, usually brown, and armed with visible teeth (use your magnifying glass!). The pupa may be in the fungus or outside, depending on the beetle species. The life cycle of beetles is generally much longer than that of flies, but some can develop from egg to pupa during the short life of a soft mushroom. Erotylidae sp. (pleasing fungus beetle) larva. Copyright Katja Schulz (from wikipedia.org) In British Colombia you might, through diligent search, find beetles of at least ten families in soft mushrooms and in the harder brackets or other fruiting bodies. Many are rare. The showiest are the handsome fungus beetles (family Endomychidae , pronounced en-doe-my-kid-ee, from the Greek endon - within, and mychos -innermost recess; the meaning escapes me), and the pleasing fungus beetles (family Erotylidae , pronounced air-o-till-id-ee, for which I can’t find any word origins that make any sense at all!). These striking beetles are shiny, and patterned black with a mix of red, orange, and/or yellow. The handsome fungus beetles are usually smaller but can reach 1 cm. in length, about half the size of pleasing fungus beetles. If your mushroom has a drab beetle up to 1⁄2 cm in length, with spiny-looking margins on its “neck”, it’s probably a tooth-necked fungus beetle (family Derodontidae , pronounced dare-oh-don-tid-ee, from the Greek deros -skin, and odontos - tooth). A long, slender, flexible beetle with short outer wings would be a rove beetle (family Staphylinidae , pronounced staff-ill-in-id-ee, from the Greek staphylinos - an insect), usually found among the gills rather than in the flesh of the mushroom. Other families include an array of small, drab beetles fondly known as LBJs(Little Brown Jobs, just like the LBJs we love to ignore in the mushroom world). Some tooth-necked fungus beetles and round fungus beetles (which can curl into a ball) feed on slime molds. There’s no accounting for taste. Wasps - the Calculating Females Now we know more or less who in the insect world is eating our mushrooms. But it’s not enough that our delicacies are full of flies and beetles, they have a variety of minute wasps, too! A parasitic wasp - Spalangia sp . © Alan Manson (from wikipedia.org) These, however, are not joining the feast; rather, they are parasitizing and killing the fungus eaters. They are the good gals, the natural controlling agents that help keep the world from turning into one huge, wriggling, buzzing mass of insects. These tiny wasps, usually 1-4 mm long, do not sting and have no interest at all in humans. We, however, should he kissing the ground under each of their six little feet! Wasps that parasitize mushroom eaters usually find mushrooms by smell, after which they search for eggs, larvae, or pupae of flies or beetles either by feel, vibrations, or again by smell. The females have a long, hollow, threadlike structure on their rear end through which eggs are laid on the victim (host) or inside it. The eggs hatch and the wasp larvae feed on the host insect, eventually killing it. The wasp larvae then pupate before turning into delicate, wasp-waisted adults. You might find the wasps as unsavory as the other insects in your mushroom, but remember that by killing many of the flies and beetles, the wasps prevent them from multiplying without check and infesting every single fungus on Earth. Also, they don’t harm uninfested fungi. There are several families of parasitic wasps saving our mushrooms, and millions of species that parasitize and kill insects in our homes, gardens, fields, forests, and water. Soon, when the rain comes back, it will be time to go out and pat the mushrooms. But just remember that while most of you are leaving punky mushrooms alone, at least one deranged individual will be maximizing the number of interesting fungus-caring insects she collects by following you and picking precisely those mushrooms which you’ve patted and left behind. There’s no accounting for taste, is there? Hannah Nadel Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Mushrooms of Russia and Finland Thanks to the Deweys for sharing details of their recent trip! Tony Dewey • December 1, 2012 Matryoshka Doll on a Mushroom. Photo by the Deweys Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Faces of FFSC – Adam Ryszka November’s Face of FFSC is Adam Ryszka, our new Local Foray Minister. Adam has been a member of FFSC for about two years. However, he was hangin’ round with FFSC members for several years prior to joining. Wendy Wells • November 1, 2009 Adam Ryszka (Nov 2009) He balances interests in computer science and business development with a variety of hobbies including hiking, classic Jaguars and, of course, chasing the wild fungi. Adam is excited with the opportunity to lead forays and help members learn the way of the mushroom. What event started his interest in mushrooms? According to Adam, his best friend in high school was a fungi-geek type of guy who was always running around with a copy of David Arora’s Mushrooms Demystified. His friend’s fascination with mushrooms was contagious. That was 15 years ago and Adam has been seeking myco-knowledge since then. He moved from SoCal to attend UC Santa Cruz. Increased time enjoying hiking and jogging led to more and more mushroom discoveries which led to hooking up with FFSC members which led to leading our local forays. Adam has been exploring the Santa Cruz area for a number of years and is quite knowledgeable about local mushroom habitats. He is quick to offer suggestions on types of environments to look for when planning a foray and looks forward to sharing his knowledge. What prompted you to become our new Local Foray Minister? Well… it was those FFSC guys he had been going on forays with. About four years ago, Adam went on his first FFSC foray to Marshall Fields with Bob Sellers. He continued to attend forays and his enthusiasm for learning became apparent to many members. As his mushroom identification skills increased, he was approached about the possibility of becoming the local foray leader. He credits Bob’s special guidance and encouragement with helping him walk the path to becoming our new foray leader. What is your favorite mushroom? Basket of boletes. Photo by Adam Ryzska Boletes in Autumn was the quick answer. Adam has a fondness for many mushrooms and a nice collection of bolete patches to call his own. Who is your favorite foray partner? Why, that would be Henry Young, of course. Adam has forayed numerous times with Henry. During this time their friendship has blossomed. He appreciates the support and valuable insight Henry has offered while Adam prepared for his new role as foray leader. Do you have any suggestions for other ‘newer’ mem-bers? First and foremost, group participation is key. Attend meetings and ID classes and get to know other members. Many of our members are happily willing to share their myco-knowledge. Secondly, attend local and long distance forays. Forays include identification sessions that present valuable learning opportunities. They also foster new friendships and ideas. Adam encourages member questions and input. He explained he is always looking for new places to foray, feedback and tips. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Kristopher Hennig FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Christian Schwarz Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Classification of Fungi for Fungus Fair 2001 This year, as we did last year, we will organize fungi at a higher level of classification than genus. Grouping fungi at the family level gives us a great opportunity to place related fungi together. Henry Young • January 1, 2001 Helvella dryophila. © Cameron B (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 369224747) For example, it will be easy to see that all of the family Boletaceae have pores Instead of gills (except Phylloporus ). By doing this both the set up crew and visitors to the Fair will be able to see similar and differentiating characteristics between related genera. Why is this important? In most dichotomous keys (like those used in Arora) differentiation between species really begins at higher taxonomic levels than genus; family being the next level up. We decided that by grouping the fungi this way the display is more of a learning tool than a simple presentation of fungi in alphabetical order. There will be handouts at the Fair to help you locate the mushrooms. There will be a "Master" tree starting at Kingdom Fungi and working down the branches to family. Starting at the family level charts for each family will show the arrangement of the genera and species within that family. A simplified example of the tree is shown below. Starting at Kingdom Fungi we proceed down the ladder and at each level there are single to multiple branching until we reach species level. Kingdom Fungi Example Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Sparassis americana (American cauliflower mushroom), Pisgah, North Carolina. Photo by Judy and Bobb Lipp Sparassis americana in North Carolina Judy Lipp Roaming the East Coast in our RV. Pretty dry out here until we went into the Pisgah National Forest near the North Carolina Arboretum. It's practically a rain forest there. Must have seen over 50 species without looking hard and literally thousands of mushrooms. It was hard to ever be out of sight of at least 5 species at a time. Fun to see so many different species that are different or uncommon to the West Coast. Used the Audubon Guide on my iPhone and kept popping up familiar names on the photos such as Debbie Viess and Noah Siegel. Thanks guys! (David Rust helped with the ID.) Learn about this mushroom: Cauliflower Tales , NAMA Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on August 15, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Agaricus arvensis. © Christie Greening (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 201056826) Classes & Workshops Gain more knowledge and hands-on experience with our classes and workshops covering mycology, art, and culinary topics. Cooking, Art, and More We offer demos, talks, and workshops on a variety of topics, such as cooking demos, mushroom cultivation, and (as of 2026) newer topics like fermentation with fungi. We also share knowledge about basic mushroom dyeing and other crafting and art skills. Check our Upcoming Events page periodically for session announcements. Be sure to also check out the activities and sessions at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair , when posted. Learn Mushroom ID Note : We offer local ID classes when conditions permit: The location must allow foraging, and it must offer a good variety of beginner-level mushrooms (with sufficient quantities available for everyone to collect). Whether eating mushrooms or simply studying them (the science of mycology), it all comes down to mushroom identification. You don’t want to eat a poisonous mushroom! ID Classes: The Start of a Long, Safe Collecting Career You (or nowadays even your phone) might recognize the genus of a mushroom, but only learning mushrooms to genus can result in grave consequences. For example, the genus Amanita contains not only the most deadly mushrooms in the world, but some of the best edibles. Know the difference! FFSC offers in-person classes in systematic methods of mushroom identification. Our knowledgeable instructors will guide you in how to develop your own ID skills. No prior knowledge of mycology or mushroom identification is required. Any FFSC member with a serious interest in learning how to ID mushrooms can participate! This is a hands-on class, so you will get as much out of the class as the effort you put in. This class will not turn you into an instant mushroom expert, nor enable you to effortlessly identify every mushroom in the forest. Rather it will give you an introduction to a systematic approach for identifying your finds and give you a foundation you can build your ID skills on. Typical Mushroom ID Class Agenda In the morning, you'll meet other participants in a forested area for a class overview and a short local foray. You'll collect specimens on your own and then bring them back to the classroom, where you'll learn to identify them yourself. See Local Forays for what to expect for the collection portion of this class. After a break, you'll meet the group again in a classroom downtown, and spend the rest of the afternoon learning and practicing how to identify your findings to genus and species. Past students have expressed that taking two or more sessions really builds those skills. We usually offer basic ID classes to FFSC members at least once a season (or more, in years when wild mushrooms are more abundant). ID Class Costs and Fees We use the classic field guide Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora as the primary class text. Plan to purchase or borrow a copy of the text before the class. New and used copies of the book are available on several websites. (As mushroom classifications continue to evolve due to DNA sequencing, the instructors may also refer you to other optional books and resources.) In order to take the class, you must be a current, paid-up, member of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz. The class size is limited to 20 participants. The class fee is typically $20 to $30 to cover costs related to the classroom rental, any shared supplies, and fundraising for FFSC educational programs. The instructors are volunteers. The price for each class will be specified when the tickets go on sale. Mycology Workshops: Forge a Deeper Understanding Mycology workshops are usually one full day long and cover a multitude of subjects, open to suggestion. In the past, our workshops have included beginning to advanced microscopy, which are hands-on sessions on how to use a microscope for mushroom identification. Instructors include both knowledgeable members as well as invited professional mycologists. Other past workshops have included advanced study of specific genera of mushrooms by invited specialists, microscopic study of different types of fungi (e.g. ascomycetes), or in mushroom cultivation techniques. Mycology workshop fees vary based on the venue, instructor, and length. Upcoming Classes & Workshops No events at the moment Past Classes & Workshops May 1, 2026, 5:30 – 8:30 PM Fermentation Workshop, May 2026 February 7, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Mushroom ID Class, February 2026 February 8, 2025, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM Mushroom ID Class, February 2025 March 2, 2024, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM Mushroom ID Class, March 2024 February 11, 2023, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM Mushroom ID Class, February, 2023 March 19, 2022 at 10:00 AM – March 20, 2022 at 4:00 PM 2022 Mycopigments Workshop: Exploring Mushroom Dyes of the Redwood Coast with Alissa Allen Load More

News & Stories / Stewardship 2008 Holiday Potluck Recap A full house braved the drizzle and were rewarded with a wonderful potluck dinner. Deb • January 1, 2009 Full crowd at the 2008 Holiday Potluck Photo by Debbie Johnson Potluck dishes at the 2008 Holiday Potluck Photo by Debbie Johnson There was buzz about many dishes, particularly the Cream of Many Mushrooms Soup, the Pheasant with Wild Mushrooms , Tri-Tip with Chanterelles, Pork Loin with Boletes and the Mushroom Barley dish. Sorry if you missed it, and will those talented people please send recipes here? I went through the line late, so if you had something else magnificent, let me know and we’ll try to get the recipe. Besides the great food, there were Matsutake party favors brought by Bob Sellers! Our thanks to Margaret Carpenter, Richard Lyness and Bob Wynn, who put on a great evening, and to the wonderful volunteers who helped to set the scene. Bob Sellers Matsutake party favors at the 2008 Holiday Potluck. Photo by Debbie Johnson Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

"Fungi and Feline" (Psathyrella sp.) Photo by Mari Stauffer Fungi and Feline Mari Stauffer Howard Taken by by phone upside down on the grass. "Feline grace and lithe" appearance of the mushrooms along with the original feline in the background. Psathyrella genus? (Likely either Psathyrella corrugis or P. bipellis .) Camera Phone Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on December 31, 2018 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Field Reports Setas Silvestres in San Sebastian During a four-week house exchange in the city of Tudela (not far from Pamplona, Spain), we explored San Sebastian on the north coast. Ernie Hudson • November 1, 2004 Pleurotus eryngii. Photo © Uriah Resheff (from inaturalist.org: ID 5037135) Wandering the streets of that elegant city, we spotted a produce stand with fresh, reasonably priced boletes and chanterelles, both from the province of Zamora. They also had a variety of packaged dried mushrooms: Marasmius oreades , Cantharellus lutescens , and a Calocybe . We bought some of the fresh mushrooms to take back to Tudela but couldn’t decide about the dried ones. At lunch we resolved to go back and buy all the dried varieties available. But the shop did not open after the siesta—and we had to leave that day! We searched for a similar selection in other Basque towns we visited but found nothing comparable. We were able to locate a 150-gram jar of dried Cantharellus lutescens to bring back—delicious! In a visit to the province of Soria (source of many of the dried mushrooms), we learned of the seta del cardo (mushroom of the thistle), which our hosts consider the most delicious mushroom of all. We were amazed to learn that it’s Pleurotus eryngii (King Oyster or Thistle Mushroom). Other highlights of the trip: the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela (with present-day pilgrims walking and cycling) and the wine route through Rioja. And the Basque chefs do live up to their reputations! Diana Chase and Ernie Hudson FFSC Secretary and Consort Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Reports from Italy in 2007 Field Reports Adventures in Austria Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Honey Mushrooms - Armillaria mellea Objects or firewood stacked up against a trunk, misguided nearby plantings, surplus soil or mulch, and other man-made sources can allow certain mycelium to infiltrate oak, maple, grape vines, blackberries, and orchard trees and shrubs. Mark shares some lessons from his professional experience with mitigating and preventing "Oak root rot", a.k.a, Armillarea Root Rot, or Armillaria mellea . by Mark Benson Armillaria mellea (cropped). Photo by Hugh Smith This article was reposted from a message in FFSC's Google Group. A few minor editorial updates have been made since it was originally posted in 2016. How about all this rain! Those were a beautiful display of honey mushrooms, Hugh! Tight and turgid and just the right time to harvest. Seeing them prompted me to write a few lines about honeys not from any formal knowledge... but from my work experience and from 'experts' with whom I consulted for my clients in my work with trees. I hope it is helpful to some of you. I am not a scientist... just an observer. Clusters of Armillaria mellea (honeys) at the base of a tree. Photo by Hugh Smith Tree culture is a subject near and dear to my heart. I love oaks so much that I named my first horticultural business, 'Acorn Tree Service'...which morphed into 'Green Mansions Tree and Horticultural Specialty Services'. As an arborist/landscaper in So. Cal. for many years, I had to remove many dead or declining oaks after their battle with honey mushrooms ("Oak Root Fungus", Armillaria m. complex). I did not know that these shrooms were considered edible back in those days. In fact, not until I joined the FFSC a decade or so ago had I ever eaten a wild mushroom. (I made my wife eat a Chantie she harvested then I waited 48 hours!) Of course, she had harvested edibles in Kentucky for years before moving out here. I was just a city boy, an urbanbushman...what did I know? What I learned is that some sp. of honey mushrooms are more aggressive than others (i.e. our Armillaria mellea complex are very aggressive). Under certain unnatural conditions, they can/do attack and kill live trees ...and don't just fruit from dead stumps. They attack many sp. such as oaks, our native maple, other native flora like native grape vine and many ornamental/orchard trees and shrubs, vines (blackberry). Another potential plant foe, Phytophthora root rot, can be colonized by Armillaria sp. (honeys) and spread through that organism as well. Armillaria mellea . Photo by Hugh Smith This will not be news to many of you... but hopefully of interest to some newer members of the club, or others who are gardeners or stewards of one or more beautiful oak trees. Aside from being a potential host for delicious chanterelles and other benign edibles, oak trees, especially in urban settings under certain conditions, can attract parasitic honey mushrooms which you can see in Hugh's spectacular photos. In the urban setting, generally speaking, honey mushroom attacks on oaks and other ornamental trees/flora or orchard trees can be avoided...or halted in the early stages. Oaks in an undisturbed habitat are generally protected naturally. Obviously, though, trees fall or are damaged or are cut down in the woodlands as well. A specialty preventative or 'habitat remediation' service I offered was to restore the area under oaks from drip line to trunk as a 'fungus-free zone'. What would lead to an oak's demise all too often (and had to be removed or dealt with sooner than later) were an accumulation of man-made objects (used tires, boxes of tiles, etc.) or firewood stacked up against the trunk or misguided water-thirsty plantings needing frequent Summer water, water basins fashioned from brick, stone or wood around the tree's base, etc. Surplus soil or mulch built up above natural grade would also act as a wick or conduit for untoward mycelium to infiltrate the trees natural defenses between root crown and trunk. It all had to be removed or redistributed. Irrigation systems simply had to be reconfigured, redirected or yanked out. Older, established Oaks hate Summer water. Honeys love it. If a client wanted more than my preferred minimalistic design (letting oak leaves fall, naturally to cover the bare earth) I would 'plant' a few large, loosely arranged mountain stones, spread out away from tree trunks and/or I would plant and establish sparse native flora then call it a day. My main "design" and intent in this type of job was of a restorative nature and to prevent invading parasitic mycelium tendrils. We had a registered heritage oak tree (estimated 400 plus years of age) in my home town of La Cañada (pron. "lah canyada") that finally went into decline. I was one of many people called to consult with the property owners. The estate had changed hands a decade or so before and the new owners (from out of state) had immediately re-landscaped the entire property and over-trimmed the old tree "to favor the new plantings with air and light", not understanding the aforementioned cultural dynamics and consequences. It had taken about 10-12 years but the fungus won. Still barely alive, opportunistic beetle grubs finished the job and an iconic oak was lost to the community. Many folks who were my customers will have a regular supply of 'honeys' for a real long time. Armillaria can survive as rhizomorphs and vegetative mycelium in the soil for years hanging around old stumps and roots, dead or alive. Tough to control. A real bad actor in the wrong places. On the positive side though...good eating for some folks . Just avoid inadvertently introducing this particular fungal bonanza to your own vegetable garden...or your neighbor's by introducing white mycelium threads from your boots. For those who want to read more about different flora's susceptibility or resistance to "oak root fungus" and other related info, there is much to study online. Here are some links: RPD No. 602 - Armillaria Root Rot of Trees & Shrubs , University of Illinois Integrated Pest Management Armillaria Root Rot , University of California Integrated Pest Management Morphology (from mushroomexpert.com ): attached gills persistant ring on fiberous stem growing en-mass an the base of a sickly Quercus.speckled roughened cap sometimes orangey gills at age a tough outer stipe that peels away like string cheese. white spore drop color can often be seen in the field, by observing the tops of caps under other mature caps Mushrooms covered: Armillaria mellea (honey fungus) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

French Onion Soup — Minister's Style Here's something to do with very gritty morels. Shea (former Minister of Culinary Affairs) has served this soup at a couple of our FFSC dinners, and we're sharing the recipe by popular request! by Shea Moss Morchella snyderi. © Kayla Dixon (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 365201748) Method Morel Stock Place the quart(s) of sautéed morels in an 8-quart stockpot and fill with water until the level of water is 4 inches above the level in the pot. (If you started with dried morels, make sure they fully reconstitute and sink before determining the covering level of the water.) Bring water to a vigorous boil, and cook for 30 minutes, skimming any impurities which rise to the surface. Reduce heat to a spritely simmer. Replace any water that has boiled off, then allow to come back to a simmer. Add 2 whole bay leaves and half of the sliced onions (i.e., 3 of the onions). Cover lightly with the lid, and continue to simmer for 3 hours, replacing the liquid as necessary to maintain a constant level. Pour entire contents of the stockpot through a large stainless steel strainer lined with cheesecloth, catching all the juice with a large pot or bowl(s). Squeeze all the juice you can out of the morels by gathering up the edges of the cheesecloth with the morels in the center, squeezing and wringing until no more juice comes out. Put all the juice back into the stockpot. At this point, the morel remains will have lost their taste, so toss them and any other solids into your compost bin. (If you think the remains still taste good at this point, feel free to use them in another dish). Sauté the other half of the onions (3 onions) in 3 Tbs. unsalted butter or margarine until they are clear, but not browned. Add the sautéed onions, including their residue, to the stockpot. (Optional) Add one very lean short rib of beef, and one additional quart of water. (If you don't add the beef, don't add more water.) Bring the stock to a simmer, then add the paprika, cumin, dried red peppers, rosemary, peppercorns, chili powder, dried oregano, and sage. Continue to simmer until onions are decomposed (about 1 hour). Do not add more water. Add 1 cup dry white wine, and salt to taste. Simmer 15 minutes more, then remove and cool slightly. You now have a morel stock. If needed, you can stop here and refrigerate the stock for up to a week (or longer if you divide it into mason jars with tightly fitting lids and store in the back of the refrigerator or freeze). Then warm up the stock before continuing. Bread and Cheese Crust While the soup is cooling, preheat oven to 325°F. Place individual ovenproof serving bowls on a large cookie sheet, and fill with approximately 1 cup of soup each. For each bowl, slice a 5/8" thick round of sweet french bread, large enough to sit on the edges of the bowls without falling in and sinking to the bottom. Toast the slices lightly in a toaster. Place one toasted round of bread on each bowl, then place a slice of swiss cheese on top of the toast. Place the cookie sheet filled with the bowls of soup, toast, and cheese into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, runs slightly, and starts to set again--kinda like the way you like your pizza. Decorate each bowl with one freshly sautéed whole morel on top of the cheese. Provide freshly ground Parmesan cheese on the table for aficionados. Bonus Tips from Shea Brown Stock Without the bread and cheese, this recipe can be used for any recipe calling for a brown stock. You can add anything else you like to the stock. It happens I don't care much for celery in my soups. I think it changes the morel flavor too much. But, if you like it, by all means add a little. Morel Glaze You can also reduce about 2 quarts of the stock to make a glaze (2 cups) by boiling the hell out of it. Then cool and pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Remove from tray and put the cubes into plastic bags or freezer bags for later use in sauces, or as a flavoring for other soups. --Shea Moss Recipe contributed: October 1987 This recipe takes several hours, as you'll first create a brown stock with morels. The stock can then be used to prepare your French Onion Soup immediately, or refrigerated for later use. Objective: Soup Total Time: 6 to 7 hours Yield: About 20 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Morel (Morchella sp.) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients Equipment 8 quart stock pot Cheesecloth or reasonable facsimile (such as a tea towel or a clean cloth diaper) Large stainless steel strainer Ovenproof serving bowls, large enough to hold a serving of soup without spilling Morel Stock 1 to 2 quarts sautéed* morels (to taste), including any liquid 2 bay leaves 6 large red onions**, thinly sliced 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine 1 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. cumin 2 dried red peppers (optional) A 4" branch fresh rosemary 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. whole dried oregano 6 leaves fresh desert sage (or 1/4 tsp. dried powdered) 1 very lean short rib of beef (optional) 1 Cup dry white wine Salt to taste Bread and Cheese Crust Swiss cheese Sweet french bread*** As many whole sautéed morels* as the number of bowls you will serve (to use as a garnish). Freshly ground Parmesan cheese for the table * Sautéed in butter or margarine. ** Red onions are sweeter than yellow or white onions, but if all you have are yellow onions, use those. *** The loaf should be wide enough that each slice can sit on the edge of your ovenproof serving bowls without falling in. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe