A single mushroom emerged recently from a bed of winter-evergreen Yarrow, Achillea millefolium. For those who subscribe to the supernatural, this one individual, minus a crew of encircled colleagues, might disappoint. With just this one, there is little hope (or dread) of otherworldly happenings.
For myself, the ‘shroom was serendipitous. I don’t often see mushrooms in my garden and typically, they appear in warmer, muggier times of year, not in cold, dry January. That being said, it hasn’t been all that cold this January and with some added damp-to-wet stuff, I guess a mushroom popping-up its spongy self from the ground shouldn’t be too surprising.
I think this particular fairy rest-stop is a Deer mushroom, Genus Pluteus. which is common throughout North America. According to iNaturalist, this mushroom grows on roots and the roots of Yarrow might make a substantial foundation for a mushroom.
For more garden stories, natural or supernatural, check out Anna’s Wednesday Vignette
And beware of fairy circles!
My Gardener Says... 