The other day I took a walk through the neighborhood woods and came upon a tree with mushrooms growing from its base and all the way up its trunk. It sure was an eye-catcher and looked really cool. I've never seen a tree covered in mushrooms but do know that fungi grow on decomposing wood. The burning question of the day became, "Why does a tree have mushrooms on it?"
Mushrooms growing on a tree indicate that a tree is suffering and is infected by a rot inducing fungus. Once a fungus spreads throughout the interior of the tree, enzymes cause further breakdown and decomposition. By this point, the fungus is already established inside the internal structure of the tree.
Mushrooms are harmful to trees. They are the fruiting body of different types of fungi and they grow by decomposing a tree for nutrients. Mushrooms decay the tree from the inside until it dies, compromising the roots and internal structure.
Some varieties of mushrooms that grow on trees aren't poisonous but you shouldn't eat unknown mushrooms. They are difficult to identify and won't taste good.
If you find mushrooms growing on trees on your property, leave them there. Removing them might spread the spores to neighboring trees.
And now a little mushroom humor...
🍄 I didn’t always like mushrooms, but they’ve finally started to grow on me.
🍄 A mushroom in need says, “Help! I’m in truffle!”
🍄 Eating mushrooms in the morning is the breakfast of champignons.
Before scrolling down my thought was, that tree is dead or soon to be. There was an old joke, about husbands dying from poison mushrooms, or a fractured skull - he wouldn't eat the mushrooms. Thinking about it depicts domestic violence and has become unfunny. Times have changed.
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