Giant Puffball
ExploreFungi
Giant Puffball
Calvatia
The Giant Puffball is a big, round fungus that looks like a ball! When it's ready, it puffs out spores into the air.
Habitat: In fields and forests
Appearance
The Giant Puffball is a large, round, or pear-shaped fungus, typically white and smooth when young. It lacks a visible stem or gills, making it look like a huge, firm marshmallow or a soccer ball. As it matures, its white interior turns yellowish then olive-brown.
KingdomFungiPhylumBasidiomycotaClassAgaricomycetesOrderAgaricalesFamilyLycoperdaceaeGenusCalvatia
Category
FungiRarity
Rare
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Ancient people sometimes used its spores as a natural bandage for wounds!
One puffball releases more spores than there are people on Earth!
Some puffballs grow so fast you can almost watch them get bigger!
You can slice and cook young puffballs like a big mushroom steak!
Special abilities
Ability
Spore Cloud Burst
Giant Puffball can release trillions of tiny, smoke-like spores when disturbed, helping them spread far and wide.
Ability
Rapid Growth Marvel
Giant Puffball has the ability to grow incredibly fast, reaching massive sizes in just days to quickly reproduce.
Ability
Edible Transformation
Giant Puffball can be safely eaten when its flesh is pure white and firm, offering a unique foraging experience.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 10-70 cm
- Edibility
- edible
- Cap Diameter
- 10-70 cm
- Growth Substrate
- soil
- Season
- Summer-fall
- Spore Color
- Olive-brown
Ecological connections
eaten by
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
White-tailed deer sometimes browse on young, fresh puffballs.
eaten by
Leopard Slug
Limax maximus
Leopard slugs are known to consume the soft flesh of puffball fungi.
eaten by
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern gray squirrels occasionally nibble on various types of mushrooms.
Traits
Spore Producing
Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Giant
Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type.
Also known as
Armored Puffball
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Giant Puffball?
10-70 cm
Is Giant Puffball edible?
edible
How big is Giant Puffball?
10-70 cm
Where is Giant Puffball usually found?
In fields and forests
What does Giant Puffball grow on?
soil
When is Giant Puffball in season?
Summer-fall
What color are Giant Puffball spores?
Olive-brown
Snap Map
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