Georgia Backyard Nature

Tiny Toadstool

I spotted this little mushroom growing under the shade of an azalea. It's only about 3-4 inches high. Mushrooms are a type of fungi and usually need good moisture to sprout. It's been very dry lately so I'm surpised to see one. This tiny toadstool is pretty but I always assume that all mushrooms are too poisonous to touch. It's a lot safer that way.

Flower Pot Fungi

 

 

Have you ever noticed mushrooms sprouting in flowerpots or planters? If it’s a small yellow one, or even a cluster, chances are it’s a Lepiota lutea. It’s also called the yellow parasol or flower pot parasol. These mushrooms aren’t harmful to the plants, but they are poisonous to animals and people.

 

Mushrooms are a type of fungi.  They grow from spores that may be present in the potting soil or that land in the pots. We’ve had a lot of rain the last week, so the heat and moisture combined to make them sprout.

The yellow parasol only grows outside in warm climates, but often is seen in protected areas such as greenhouses, window boxes, and pots in all climates. In the picture you can see the mature mushrooms as well as the tiny sprout by the stalk.

 

I never noticed them until this year and this is the second crop that’s grown in my hibiscus pot. I guess I should look around the yard to see what other interesting kinds of fungi have sprouted in the recent rain.