Ep 222. Fascinating Fungi and Wood Wide Web

Mary Stone discusses the fascinating world of fungi, particularly Giant Puffball Mushrooms and Jack o' Lantern Mushrooms. She emphasizes the importance of proper identification for those who scavenge for wild mushrooms and shares the foolproof four suggested by Cabinlife.com. 

Additionally, Mary explains the concept of the Wood Wide Web, detailing the differences between mycorrhizal fungi and mycelium. 

Then concludes by reflecting on how we can learn from the natural world. Like the underground mycelium silently creating fertile soil, as more of us become aware of how destructive perpetuating violence and hate is, we are progressing towards peace. 

Thanks for tuning in! 

Related Posts and Podcasts 

Fun Fall Fungi in Lawns - Blog Post

Ep 88. Insights from the Interdependence of Trees

Insights and Interdependence of Trees - Blog Post

Ep 221. Curious Copperhead Encounters

Curious Copperhead Encounters – Blog Post

 Another fascinating fungus – Fairy Rings 

CabinLife.com's The Foolproof Four: Edible Wild Mushrooms

 8888

I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com. 

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.

Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

 Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,

Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer

More about the Podcast and Column:

Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.

It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.

Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com
Direct Link to Podcast Page

Transcript

Ep 222. Fascinating Fungi and Wood Wide Web

Sat, Sep 20, 2025 10:16AM • 10:50

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Fungi, Wood Wide Web, Giant Puffball Mushrooms, Jack O Lantern Mushrooms, Mycorrhizal Fungi, Mycelium, Mycorrhizae, Mushroom Foraging, Poisonous Mushrooms, Edible Mushrooms, Wild Mushrooms, Mushroom Identification, Fungus Benefits, Garden Dilemmas.

SPEAKERS

Mary Stone

Mary Stone  00:00

Mary stone, Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, I'm Mary stone, and welcome to garden dilemmas, delights, and discoveries. It's not only about gardens, it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learn from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in - the spirit of learning from each other - we have lots to talk about. 

Mary Stone  00:26

Hello, there. It's Mary Stone on the screen porch after a tease of a drizzle to break up the dry spell. We sure can use more rain. It's actually dark out, and you're probably hearing the crickets in the trees, which is a lovely soothing sound that I enjoy. I've been spending many campouts here on the porch. I want to thank you for joining me, and thank those of you who reached back after our last chat about curious Copperhead encounters. Aren't Blaine Rothauser's photos the most stunning? Stunning snakes may seem like an oxymoron to some who have the Willy nillys about snakes, not me. I have many friends who are afraid of snakes, but the funniest is a friend of mine who's also a colleague. His name is Barry, and he does all the lighting and the irrigation for my clients. And it's so funny because he's petrified of snakes, and yet he chose a profession where he encounters them often. It's become an ongoing comedy between us.

Mary Stone  01:29

 Speaking of photos, on Sunday, after I posted the podcast last week, I went up to Camp Mohican to photograph the area where the rattlesnake was hunkering down in front of the dining hall. Since then, there's a sign: Keep the door shut. Snakes come inside. It's a very funny photo. I invite you to take a look at that post. Yes, indeed, it's best to avoid the element of surprise and keep snakes at a distance and the door shut. 

Mary Stone  02:00

So today's topic is about fun fall fungi found in our lawns. And it's inspired by a client who sent a photo of a mushroom that magically appeared in her lawn. And it starts like this.

Mary Stone  02:14

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. As dry as our weather has been, there's been some fascinating and fun fungi that have shown up in our lawns, including giant puffball mushrooms we've spoken about before. I photographed what looked like conjoined twin giant puff balls as they grew and harvested them before cutting the lawn, thinking I'll cook them. Meanwhile, a client sent a photo of a cluster of bright orange mushrooms the size of a cracker box that suddenly popped up in her lawn. Do you know what these are? I didn't. So I asked my go-to for all things in nature, Dennis Briede of Blairstown, here in New Jersey. And he quickly wrote back that it looks like a jack o lantern mushroom, adding they claim the young ones glow in the dark. And I did look into that, and they actually do. How cool is that?

Mary Stone  03:06

Jack o' Lantern mushrooms have a toxin, and it's poisonous to humans, dogs, and cats, causing severe cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. I suggested Peggy put them in a bag and toss them in the trash. I will definitely toss them as they are way too interesting to the dogs. I sent her photos of my giant mushrooms along with a link to an earlier story that starts with: my neighbor, Bill, ate his volleyball, a giant puffball mushroom that is. I have a volleyball too, and I've been watching it in amazement. Eating it didn't occur to me, but it turns out they are delicious. Still, I'm not sure I will eat them. Good call, Peggy wrote back.

Mary Stone  03:47

 I always admire folks who know what they're doing, scavenging for wild mushrooms. Mushrooms are the fruits of valuable spores that decay organic material and recycle nutrients into the soil. And while most are technically edible, many are not pleasant to eat, and up to 250 varieties are considered significantly poisonous. That's enough for me to stay clear of scavenging. But the giant puffball mushroom is easy to find, and hence one of the foolproof four for beginner wild mushroom enthusiasts of feast on per cabinlife.com.

Mary Stone  04:25

There are morels, which are those classic conical cap ones with the honeycomb ridges. Folks adore them, and they are short-lived, and hence very rare to find. Then there's the chicken mushrooms, like overlapping orange ears that grow on decaying logs. The final of the foolproof four is yellow chanterelles with yellow to pale orange smooth caps. And as you would guess, there are photographs on the blog post, and I will put a link in the show notes.

Mary Stone  04:55

Giant puffball mushrooms are found in the fall, growing in open areas such as grassy fields, lawns, and near roads. They're hard to miss because of their size, but beware of a few poisonous look-alikes. The look-alikes don't grow nearly as large, so harvesting volleyball-sized ones is a safe bet. 

Mary Stone  05:14

Some think mushrooms are vegetables, but they're a fungus packed with vitamins and minerals that boost energy levels and lower cholesterol. Many contain enzymes and antioxidants that help your immune system. Some mushrooms aid in arthritis and inhibit diabetes and prevent cancer. They're low in calories. Best of all, wild mushrooms are free only if you know what you're doing, though.

Mary Stone  05:42

Giant puffball mushrooms are tasty when the flesh is firm and white on the inside and out, but use them within a day or two after harvest. Once they turn yellow or greenish, they can cause an upset stomach in maturity; the inside of the puffball turns into a huge bag of green spores. Hence why the common name - giant puffball. The skin of the giant puff ball is leathery, but it is easy to peel off before cooking. To prepare, slice them into quarter or half-inch slabs. You can lightly season with salt and pepper, then saute in oil and butter until golden brown, or coat with a milk and egg wash before dusting with seasoned flour, then fry. You could also dice the puff ball and add it to your soups, rice, or risotto dishes. 

Mary Stone  06:29

I considered cooking the puff balls on the grill last night, but they had already softened a bit, and so I reconsidered. Unless a foraging expert, it's best to let mushrooms just be and marvel at how they decompose organic matter, bringing nourishment back into our dear Earth while creating more spores to produce new mushrooms. Garden Dilemmas? Ask Mary Stone.com.

Mary Stone  06:56

I sent Peggy another cluster of mushrooms that showed up in my lawn that Dennis identified as oyster mushrooms, and they are edible when they are in their prime, sporting oyster-shaped caps. Mushrooms are indeed fascinating. They are the fruiting body of a vast unseen network of mycelium that connects plants across the forest floor. Folks call it the Wood Wide Web. The individual mushroom is only the temporary, visible fruit of a far greater organism. So I wondered if mycorrhizal fungi and mycelium are the same thing, and they are not. We spoke about how trees are interconnected through mycorrhizae, a type of fungus found naturally in soil for over a billion years. In episode 88, 'Insights from the Interdependence of Trees,' I invite you to tune in. I'll put a link in the show notes. 

Mary Stone  07:50

Mycelium is the general network of thread-like fungal structures. Mycorrhizal fungi are specific types of fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, using their mycelial networks to exchange nutrients. This may explain it better-- Mycelium is the physical form of a fungus, whereas mycorrhiza is the relationship that's formed. 

Mary Stone  08:16

Mushrooms appear suddenly and mysteriously from what seems like nowhere, a quality that has led many cultures to view them as gateways between the different realms or to the spirit world, which brings a thought as we witness the discord and heinous acts of violence and hate that seem to be growing in our world, which is beyond troubling. Maybe just maybe, beyond the hate, there is an unseen healing and growth as more and more of us realize that hate, which often stems from fear over perceived threats to one's sense of self, values, or ways of life, does not solve anything. Fear perpetuates more fear as hate grows more hate.

Mary Stone  09:02

 Instead, we can live with acceptance of different religions and points of view and nurture love, even if we disagree. And, like the underground mycelium silently creating fertile soil, as more and more of us become aware of how irrationally destructive perpetuating or engaging in conversations about violence and hate is, we are progressing towards peace, even though now we may not be able to see the shift to loving thy neighbor.

Mary Stone  09:37

We can learn so much from the natural world, which is why I enjoy our visits each week on the screen porch, and all of you who sit with me and send your feedback and comments, and remarks. It's just so heartwarming, because I know there are more and more of us feeling the same thing about how we can make a difference by loving thy neighbor. And our neighbor is not only people, it's all that we share this world with. So thank you for visiting with me, and thank you for emailing me and just reaching back. It warms my heart, and I cannot wait for our next time on the screen porch. Have a beautiful day. 

Mary Stone  10:19

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook or online at GardenDilemmas.com and on Instagram at hashtag MaryElaineStone. Garden dilemmas, delights, and discoveries is produced by Alex Bartling. Thanks for coming by. I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch, and always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day.