Oyster Mushrooms With Attitude! |
Oyster mushrooms like these are a common sight along creeks in fall and winter. |
Even a little rain provides enough moisture for wild mushrooms to sprout and grow. |
Oyster mushrooms grow in a broad variety of shapes and sizes. |
Often fully expressing themselves along lengths of rotting logs. |
Some in growth patterns that conform to the contours of their host. |
More than a hand's width broad and tall, they strain to reach the light. |
Rotting logs can host scores of oyster mushrooms in various stages of development. |
Beautifully arranging themselves to make the most of the forest's filtered sunlight. |
They are also found high up on the bark of living trees where they thrive in great numbers. |
In addition to oyster mushrooms, other varieties of fungi favor creek-fed canyons. |
Artist Conks grow near the base of living trees and slowly expand for years. |
Their tough, wood-like texture deters insects and provides insulation in all weather. |
Fallen leaves and other creek-side debris decompose to provide nutrients for mushroom spores. |
Honey mushrooms like this one are often found growing very near the water's edge. |
Decomposing leaves become compost for next year's crop of wild mushrooms. |
A pair of Puff Balls erupt through the rich compost of the forest floor. |
To see more of our native mushrooms, enter the forest. |
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