Monday, September 24, 2012

Cool Looking Fungi In the Garden-Aliens Perhaps? And the Empress..


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After the long hot and dry periods of May and June, July through September have brought us some fairly decent rains in Tennessee. Along with the rains, and heat, came some fungi in the garden. The one pictured above was about one foot wide and about six inches tall. It was quite a big old thing. I found it growing  in complete shade alongside a newly planted redbud. The grass blade you see sticking out is actually growing in this fungi. I cannot identify this fungi but think it may be a type of cauliflower fungus. If anyone can positively identify it for me that would be great.
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Here is a longer shot. I touched this and it was quite firm.
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This particular mushroom made me think spaceships.
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It was probably seven inches across and about four inches off from the ground. I mowed it down but it came right back....

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One last thing that is more fun than fungi to most. The Empress of China evergreen dogwood has buds on it!  I don't know if these are flower buds for next year or if they are flower buds for this year. Only time will tell....

in the garden....



Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

16 comments:

  1. I think fungi is a very cool addition to a garden. I'll need to keep my eye out for any Michigan fungi. Fungi have to be the inspiration for many science fiction visuals. - http://mary-goingnative.blogspot.com/

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  2. Cool-looking fungi! The second one really does look like a spaceship!

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  3. That fungi picture is awesome. I haven't seen fungi like that. We have mushroom time here in Finland and I've been gathering some yellow stems.

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  4. Very cool fungus!!!! It looks like brains. hahaha Excited for your Empress of China!! Can't wait to see it in bloom this spring.

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  5. Way cool on the fungi. I had some like the 2nd one in my yard but they stopped all of a sudden.

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  6. We are seeing all types of strange fungi in our gardens and woods right now. While tossing horse poop the past two weeks, I saw thousands of mushrooms popping up in the poo over night!

    Yep, that one looks like a brain to me. I have had those before and think they are so neat looking. OMGosh, that one does look like a spaceship! You captured it with that dark background really giving that space look....

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  7. Lots of fungi here in the sw corner of the state, too, now that we finally got some rain. I've never seen anything like that cauliflower/brainish one around here. Great photos!

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  8. I've never seen a fungi like that before!! You always show the neatest photos!!

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  9. That is crazy cool fungi.....reminds me of the space fantasy flic Krull.....very unique forms. Nicely captured.

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  10. I had some giant mushrooms come up in my garden under a rose - very odd, I thought. I've never seen anything quite like that fungi. Cauliflower seems to describe the looks of it! Glad you're getting some good rains.

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  11. I love looking at fungi. I find them so very interesting. We always get lotsa different mushrooms all over the yard when it rains but nothing interesting like yours.One of you gals had shown us some good ones last year but I think it was Skeeter but not sure. The second one does look like a spaceship and I thought the 1st one could have been placed there by the aliens!!

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  12. Wow, those fungi are very cool. I love the space ship one.
    http://www.flowersforums.com/ruth/blog/

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  13. I enjoyed the textures of the fungi. It is one of the best of nature's art.

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  14. These are just too cool...I love fungi and how interesting they look and grow.

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