Recent Inland Northwest weather perfect for mushrooms

The long fall and recent rains have been perfect for mushrooms. They have been popping up everywhere.

There are thousands of mushrooms, or technically fungi, found in nature. They have been around for millions of years and their simple biology has allowed them to survive millennia of changes. The mushrooms we see are actually the fruiting body of a fungus (singular form of fungi) that produces tiny spores that spread on air currents to the surrounding territory. The fungi that produce the mushrooms are very fine, white, cream or tan-colored threads or mycelium found in the top few inches of soil. Fungi are a critical element in soil formation as they help break down organic matter, releasing nutrients to plants.

Fungi colonize dead leaves, grass, wood, soil organisms and bacteria they come in contact with. One of the more common places home gardeners will encounter them is on woody debris left over from a construction project or stumps and tree branches buried in the ground during a land clearing or building project or in loads of bark or wood chips brought in for landscaping. Fungi will colonize any organic material and then wait for the perfect conditions to send up its fruiting body. This can take years or even decades so their appearance often surprises people.

Because fungi are ubiquitous in the environment, there is no point in trying to control them. The exception would be fairy ring fungus I have written about in previous columns. Just mow up or rake out the fruiting bodies and compost them if you are concerned about pets or children eating them.

A lot of the aversion people have to the presence of mushrooms comes from the stories, experiences and folklore. Back when our ancestors did more foraging for their food, it was important to avoid poisonous mushrooms for obvious reasons. Old folk tales imparted mushrooms with magic that gave them less-than-desirable reputations.

Many people in our area collect wild mushrooms and with the resurgence of the wildcraft movement, more and more people are seeking out wild foods like mushrooms. Mushroom hunting, however, takes a good deal of knowledge about what you are actually picking as there are often very subtle differences between a tasty edible one and one that can kill you. Therefore, if you are interested in learning the difference, team up with an experienced hunter who can walk through the woods or garden and teach you how to tell the difference. Don’t rely on books, secondhand knowledge or the Internet to identify them.

In our area, the best way to learn about our local mushrooms is to join the Spokane Mushroom Club. This group meets for forays when mushrooms are in season and meets regularly for informative meetings. You must be a member to take part in the field forays. They can be contacted through their website: www.spokanemushroom club.org/membership /home.