Laura Smith
Honey mushrooms, also known as Armillaria, are a common variety of wild mushrooms found in many parts of the world, including North America, Europe, Russia, China, and the UK. They are particularly abundant in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere and are often found in forests, growing on trees, stumps, and buried wood. Honey mushrooms are parasitic and can sometimes kill their host trees, causing root rot. They are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world but must be cooked thoroughly as they can be mildly poisonous when raw or undercooked.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Armillaria ostoyae (synonyms: A. solidipes, A. mellea) |
| Genus | Armillaria |
| Common name | Honey mushroom |
| Type | Parasitic fungus |
| Habitat | Cooler regions of the northern hemisphere, including North America, Europe, Russia, China, and parts of Asia |
| Specific locations | Oregon, Michigan, British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest, Alberta, California, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Sacramento, Missouri, PEI, Ukraine, Poland, Germany |
| Host trees | Coniferous trees, oaks, and other hardwoods |
| Appearance | Honey-colored, sticky cap with black hairs over the center; gills are light; the stalk is tough and dark with a whitish ring; narrow gills that are whitish, becoming darker with age |
| Spore print | White |
| Edibility | Edible but must be thoroughly cooked as they are mildly poisonous raw; can cause sickness when ingested with alcohol |
| Similar-looking species | Sulfur tuft, Pholiota species, Ringless honey mushroom, Jack-o'-lantern, Big laughing gym |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Honey mushrooms are found in North America, Europe, Russia, China and the American South
Honey mushrooms are found in several regions across the globe, including North America, Europe, Russia, China, and the American South. They are a circumboreal species, typically found in temperate regions, meaning they avoid tropical areas.
In North America, honey mushrooms are prevalent in the forests of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, as well as in parts of the western United States, including California, North Carolina, and Florida. They are also found in Ontario, Canada, and Michigan, where a specimen weighing 440 tons was discovered. This makes it one of the largest fungal colonies in the world.
Honey mushrooms are also native to Europe, with a presence in the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, and other European countries. They are considered a delicacy in these regions and are highly regarded among mushroom enthusiasts.
Russia is another region where honey mushrooms are found, and they are known to grow in the American South, particularly in states like Missouri and South Carolina. Additionally, honey mushrooms have been spotted in China, extending their reach across multiple continents.
Honey mushrooms typically grow in clusters at the bases of trees, especially oaks, and over buried wood. They are parasitic and can sometimes kill their host trees, causing root rot. They are edible when young and thoroughly cooked, but caution is advised as they can cause stomach upset in some individuals.
Magic Mushrooms: Do Alice Mushrooms Work?
You may want to see also
They grow in forests, at the bases of trees, around stumps, and on buried wood
Honey mushrooms are a generic term for a wide complex of wild mushrooms in the Armillaria family. They are regarded as a delicacy in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Germany, and other European countries. They are usually found in forests, at the bases of trees, around stumps, and on buried wood. They are parasitic and break down cellulose, which is the main component of plant cell walls, and they can kill living trees. They are native species that have evolved with forests and are common across PEI, where they can be found in hardwood, mixedwood, and conifer forests.
In North America, the Armillaria ostoyae fungus is found on host coniferous trees in the forests of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. It also grows in parts of Asia. It is mostly common in the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In the western United States, it is the most common variant of the species complex under the name A. mellea.
The honey mushroom has a honey-coloured, sticky cap with black hairs over the centre, and a stalk with a whitish ring. It grows in clusters at the bases of trees or stumps, especially oaks, and over buried wood. They are always found in clusters and are usually found in cool and damp weather. They are considered good edibles when young and fresh but can cause stomach upset in some individuals.
The Armillaria ostoyae in the Malheur National Forest in the Strawberry Mountains of eastern Oregon was found to be the largest fungal colony in the world, spanning an area of 3.5 square miles (2,200 acres; 9.1 km2). This organism is estimated to be about 8,000 years old and may weigh as much as 35,000 tons, making it one of the largest known organisms in the world.
Mushroom Sales in Colorado: What's Available?
You may want to see also
They are parasitic and can kill their hosts
Honey mushrooms are a generic term for a wide complex of wild mushrooms in the Armillaria family, usually A. mellea. They are regarded as a delicacy in some parts of Europe, including Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and Germany. However, they are mildly poisonous when consumed raw and can cause sickness when ingested with alcohol. Therefore, it is recommended to thoroughly cook them before consumption and to avoid drinking alcohol for 12 hours before and 24 hours after eating them.
Honey mushrooms are parasitic and can kill their hosts. They are semi-parasitic and typically grow on weak or unhealthy trees, causing heart rot that eventually kills the tree. The mycelium of honey mushrooms invades the sapwood of trees and can spread over great distances under the bark or between trees in the form of black rhizomorphs, also known as "shoestrings". Rhizomorphs grow close to the soil surface and invade new roots or the root collar, where the roots meet the stem of the plant. Once the fungus has girdled the tree or caused significant root damage, the infected tree will die.
Honey mushrooms are decomposing mushrooms that feed on wood and cause "white rot." They can grow on living, decaying, or dead plant material, which means they can kill their host without suffering any negative consequences themselves. This is in contrast to parasites, which must moderate their growth to avoid host death. The subterranean parts of the honey mushroom bloom in the autumn, and the mushrooms grow in clusters from the infected plant. They are often found in cool and damp weather, typically in the northern hemisphere.
In North America, honey mushrooms can be distinguished by their cream-brown colours, prominent cap scales, and well-developed ring. They are most commonly found in the interior and along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, particularly in the forests of British Columbia. The largest known specimen of honey mushrooms, an A. ostoyae, covers more than 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) in Oregon and is estimated to be 2,500 years old. This specimen originated from spores of a parent fungus in Ontario, Canada and grew over millennia to a mass of 440 tons, making it one of the largest known organisms in the world.
Enoki Mushrooms: A Psychedelic Trip?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$7.62 $14.95
They are edible, but must be cooked thoroughly
Honey mushrooms are a generic term for a wide complex of wild mushrooms in the Armillaria family, usually A. mellea. They are edible, but must be cooked thoroughly. They are considered a delicacy in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Germany, and other European countries. However, they are mildly poisonous when consumed raw. It is recommended to abstain from drinking alcohol for 12 hours before and 24 hours after consuming honey mushrooms to avoid any potential nausea and vomiting.
Honey mushrooms are parasitic and cause root rot, which can kill living trees. They are usually found in clusters on dead or dying trees and have round caps with little hair-like projections. The caps are honey-coloured and sticky, with black hairs over the centre. The stalks are whitish, turning reddish-brown, and have a ring on the upper stalk. They are found in cool and damp weather, mostly in temperate places, north of a line extending from California to North Carolina. They can also be found as far south as Florida, in places like PEI, Virginia, Sacramento, and Oregon.
To identify honey mushrooms, look for the following markings: pimply dots on the cap, decurrent gills that run down the bottom of the cap and onto the stalk, and a spore print. The spore print can be made by slicing off the stem and placing the cap, gills down, on paper. Honey mushrooms have white spores, which may be visible as dusting on the caps of lower mushrooms.
When cooking honey mushrooms, it is important to cook them well. One recommended method is to pan-fry them covered on low heat for at least 15 minutes. It is also important to be cautious when consuming wild mushrooms and to properly identify the mushroom before consumption.
Mushrooms' Intriguing Asexual Reproduction: Nature's Unique Strategy
You may want to see also
They are a type of Armillaria mushroom
Honey mushrooms are a type of Armillaria mushroom. Armillaria is a genus of about 35 species of parasitic fungi commonly found in forests of hardwoods or mixed conifers in northern North America and Europe. The name Armillaria was first defined in 1821 by Elias Magnus Fries, and it was later assigned generic rank by Friedrich Staude in 1857. The Armillaria species are morphologically similar to A. mallea, which was effectively distinguished in 1973.
Honey mushrooms are a generic term for a wide complex of wild mushrooms in the Armillaria family, usually A. mellea. They are regarded as a delicacy in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Germany, and other European countries, where they are ranked above morels and chanterelles. However, they must be thoroughly cooked as they are mildly poisonous when raw. Honey mushrooms are one of four UK species that can cause sickness when ingested with alcohol. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid drinking alcohol 12 hours before and 24 hours after consuming this mushroom.
Armillaria mushrooms are characterised by their white spore print, gills attached to the stem, and an annulus. They grow from a single fertilized white spore and spread through thread-like filaments of cells that form long, cord-like bundles called rhizomorphs. These rhizomorphs can form massive, long-lasting underground networks, allowing the fungus to grow to huge proportions. Armillaria ostoyae, for example, is the world's largest single living organism, covering 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) in Oregon, USA.
Honey mushrooms can be identified by their gills, which are decurrent, meaning they run down the bottom of the cap and onto the top of the stalk, and their white spore print. They typically grow in clusters at the base of trees, stumps, or piles of fallen logs during cool and damp weather. It is important to correctly identify honey mushrooms before consuming them, as there are some poisonous mushrooms that resemble them, such as the sulfur tuft and the various pholiota species.
Mushroom Mystery: Are They Plants or Not?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Honey mushrooms are found in the UK, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Russia, and other European countries. They are most commonly found in temperate places, north of a line running from Fresno, California to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Honey mushrooms are found in the forests of British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest, and parts of Asia. They are also found in the western United States, where they are the most common variant of the species complex. They are also found in the eastern United States, in places like Missouri and Michigan.
Honey mushrooms are found in Ontario, Canada.
Honey mushrooms are found in hardwood, mixedwood, and conifer forests. They grow in clusters at the bases of trees or stumps, especially oaks, and over buried wood. They are also found in lawns and gardens.
