Mushrooms are thriving in Central Ohio's wet August
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Dozens of relatively large mushrooms appeared in my yard in just a few days. Photos: Andrew King/Axios
As Central Ohio residents deal with an abnormally stormy August, our spore-bearing cousins are thriving.
Why it matters: My normally green yard has become filled with dozens of large white mushrooms in recent days — some nearly as big as dinner plates.
- I suspect I'm not alone in wondering whether they're dangerous or problematic.
I was curious: Are these mushrooms dangerous to my daughter or my dog? Are they going to mess with my lawn?
- Do they indicate something sinister in my grass or the surrounding trees?
The big picture: Conditions could not be better for fungus to create mushrooms, Ohio State fungal evolution genomics professor Jason Slot tells Axios.
- Fungi are already living in your yard, but it requires "a lot of water" to make a mushroom and a humid environment to trigger the release of their spores.
- "When we get these rains, that's their signal to reproduce, so they throw up their mushrooms," Slot says.
Zoom in: He suspects my mushrooms are chlorophyllum molybdites, known as "the vomiter" and common after rain.
- They'll make you sick if you eat them, but Slot says "usually only golden retrievers" want to.
Threat level: Even if you're fairly certain a mushroom is harmless, Slot says the average person shouldn't consume mushrooms they find in the wild.
- Don't let your kids or pets eat them.
- But don't worry about handling them — "there's not going to be any problems from that."
Between the fences: Those who take pride in a well-manicured lawn may want to get rid of them immediately — and that shouldn't require much work.
- Dave Smith, operations manager of Columbus-based Cornwell Lawn & Landscaping, says his team would likely just mow right over them.
- Slot and Smith agree the mushrooms probably don't indicate any type of underlying issue or future concern — they just like the moisture.
Yes, but: You don't have to get rid of them.
- "You could just enjoy them," Slot said with a laugh. "They'll go away pretty quickly."
- Even Smith has appreciation for the "crazy organism" — he wishes he had studied them.
The other side: Fungicides do exist, but Smith normally thinks they're unnecessary and Slot doesn't recommend them.
- "Putting fungicides in your living space is not a great idea," he says. "Fungi and people are more closely related than you might think. Fungicides are likely to have negative effects on people."
The bottom line: Fungus is always out there. This just happens to be its time to shine.
- "It's not really a problem," Slot says. "It's just a natural process."