MUSHROOMS OF OUR FORESTS
When you walk through the forest, you look around – at the trees, the birds, maybe even search for wild strawberries. But the most fascinating things often grow right at your feet: mushrooms!
Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals. They are strange and mysterious organisms that live their own hidden lives — underground, in trees, on stumps, and in dead wood. What we see as a mushroom cap above the ground is just a small part — most of the mushroom is hidden in the soil as a fine network called mycelium.
Mushrooms grow when it’s moist
After the rain, the forest smells different – that’s when mushrooms wake up. Moisture and warmth are their signal to grow. Some appear overnight, others grow slowly. And some stay hidden, even when you know they’re there somewhere...
Did you know...?
– The largest living organism in the world is a mushroom! One “individual” in the USA has spread underground over an area of more than 900 hectares!
– Mushrooms can decompose wood, leaves, and dead animal remains – without them, the forest would quickly become filled with waste.
– Some mushrooms live in cooperation with trees – they help trees absorb nutrients, and in return, the trees provide them with sugars from their leaves.