Mushrooms, sometimes called fly agarics, are the visible reproductive structures (fruits) of several types of fungi. Although umbrella-shaped fruiting bodies are the most common and well-known, mushrooms display a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
Other types of lawn mushrooms are puffballs, stinkhorns, and bird’s nests, descriptive names denoting various forms among fungi.
Note that, regardless of shape, the purpose of all fruiting bodies is to pick up spores, the reproductive unit of fungi, and then spread them. Without further ado, let us examine the types of mushrooms found in lawns.
Check out this beginners guide to collecting the different types of mushrooms.
Contents
- 8 Types of Lawn Mushrooms
- 1. Fairy Rings
- 2. Lawyer’s Wig (Coprinus)
- 3. Inky caps
- 4. Mycorrhizae
- 5. Armillaria mellea
- 6. Puffball, mushroom
- 7. Bird’s nests
- Types of Yard Mushrooms
- Types of Lawn Mushrooms (FAQs)
- How do I recognize mushrooms in my grass?
- Can you eat mushrooms from your lawn?
- What kills mushrooms in the yard?
- Do I have to remove mushrooms from my grass?
- Author
8 Types of Lawn Mushrooms
1. Fairy Rings
About 60 species form fairy rings in our lawns, all of which belong to the Basidiomycete group. These mushrooms start at a midpoint, usually a stump or a large buried piece of wood.
Fairy rings are very common in areas of grass that have previously been greened, as the soil contains a lot of mushroom food. The fungus uses this wood as food to grow in a circle on the outside.
2. Lawyer’s Wig (Coprinus)
Mushrooms of the Coprinus genus are commonly found in backyards. The most charismatic type of mushroom is the lawyer’s wig (also known as the hairy hat with ink).
This type of mushroom grows in tall cylinders. When ready to release its spores, the sponge changes drastically from white and full to ink, blank and crumble, in just a few hours; this can happen if you choose it.
3. Inky caps
Inkcaps, Coprinus species, are a common but distinctive group of herbaceous mushrooms.
It is so named because shortly after appearing on the sponge, the sponge cap disintegrates into a dark liquid reminiscent of ink.
4. Mycorrhizae
Some beneficial fungi, known as mycorrhizal fungi, are associated with the roots of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. These fungi help plants absorb nutrients and water from the soil.
Mycorrhizal fungi produce microscopic spores, while other mycorrhizal fungi grow on trees and some shrubs. Therefore, the mold produced by this fungus can sometimes appear on lawns when its host is nearby.
Many landscape trees – especially oaks, pines, and other conifers – do not grow or thrive without the help of these fungal partners.
Are lawn mushrooms poisonous to humans
5. Armillaria mellea
This fungus often bears fruit at the base of trees, stumps, or grass where the tree is felled. It often produces bunches of honey-coloured mushrooms in the fall.
Several hundred different trees and shrubs were attacked and killed by it. The fungus usually does not appear until the host tree dies or is in a later decline stage.
Using household bleach to get rid of mushrooms
6. Puffball, mushroom
Puffed ball. Funny name, isn’t it? Puffball mushrooms are another group of fungi. This mushroom has no stems or gills under the head. Like most lawn mushrooms, these are neither parasitic nor contagious.
This fungus releases spores through a small hole at the top of the fruiting body. I’m sure you have stepped on this mushroom and released a surprising cloud of brown spores at one point.
Puffball is a type of mushroom with fungus growing up to a foot long. It’s called a giant sponge with a bat. It can be baked, made into flour, or boiled for frying.
While you probably won’t find them in your yard, small sandwiches up to two inches in diameter are among the most common mushrooms on the lawn.
7. Bird’s nests
Mushrooms reproduce fungi that produce fruiting bodies that look like small nests with eggs. Although not eggs, these little balls contain spores.
Swallow’s nest mushrooms are usually found in clusters with a diameter of several centimeters. These mushrooms usually do not require treatment because their fruiting bodies are small and do not attract pets or children.
However, none are known to be toxic.
How to get rid of toadstools in lawn.
Types of Yard Mushrooms
Two types of mushrooms grow in the garden, namely:
- Boletinelus meruliodes. Mushrooms under the Bletinelus category include Lycoperdon perlatum, Panaeolus foenisecii, Squamous Polyporus, and Psathyrella candolleana.
- Common Psathyrella. The second class of yard mushrooms include the Deer mushrooms, Fairy ring mushrooms, Garland Stropharia, Puffball mushrooms which are set with precious stones, the Mushroom meadow, the Pink soil mushrooms(not a common name). Other mushrooms in this category are The Panel ring, Crash train mushrooms. Western giant sandwich, and the Yellow leg Agaricus.
Killing mushrooms with vinegar
Types of Lawn Mushrooms (FAQs)
How do I recognize mushrooms in my grass?
The most straightforward way to identify mushrooms in your lawn is to look for white gills instead of brown, skirts or rings on stems, rounded bottoms or reads on caps or stems.
You can also use a mushroom guide to help you in the identification process.
Can you eat mushrooms from your lawn?
Mushrooms known to be edible include sandwich mushrooms, some (but not all) species found in the incredible ring of grass, mushrooms, portobellos, and round cream, which have wild cousins in Alberta, notes Schultz.
What kills mushrooms in the yard?
You can kill mushrooms in the yard by using household products such as vinegar;
Take white vinegar, and water then mixes them in the ratio of 1:4.
When spraying a home fungicide, be sure to spray it only on mold, as vinegar can kill plants and grass.
Do I have to remove mushrooms from my grass?
Since mushroom is just an above-ground symptom of beneficial fungal growth, eliminating it is the best temporary solution.
However, removing mushrooms can prevent more spores from being released to spread more mold.
Using dish soap to kill mushrooms guide.
There are many types of lawn mushrooms, and identifying each type may be a bit tricky. However, if you are equipped with a few tips and a mushroom guidebook, the exercise will be effortless.
It would be best if you noted that mushrooms display a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some of the other fruiting bodies found in lawns are stinkhorns, and bird’s nests, descriptive names denoting various forms among fungi.
We hope the tips we have shared in this article will help you understand the types of mushrooms that grow on your lawn.
