# Honey Fungus (*Armillaria*)

Honey Fungus is a sweet-looking fungus that grows on trees! It can be yellowish and often grows in clusters.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** On trees
- **Also known as:** Armillaria Mellea, Honey Mushroom, Ringless Honey Mushroom, Shoestring Fungus, Wood Rot

![Honey Fungus](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424814/objects/5168.jpg)

## Appearance

The Honey Fungus has yellow-brown to honey-colored caps, often scaly, that grow in dense clusters. It features white gills underneath and a prominent ring around its stem. This fungus is distinctive for its tendency to grow at the base of trees or on stumps.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Physalacriaceae
- **Genus:** Armillaria

## Interesting facts

- In some places, it’s cooked and eaten as a delicious wild mushroom!
- Its long, black root-like structures are called rhizomorphs – they look like bootlaces!
- The largest known living organism by area might be a single honey fungus colony!
- This fungus can make infected wood glow in the dark, a phenomenon called 'foxfire'!

## Special abilities

- **Underground Superhighway:** Honey Fungus can grow long, black 'shoelaces' underground because of special root-like structures called rhizomorphs that help them spread far.
- **Glowing Roots:** Some Honey Fungus species can glow in the dark, because of bioluminescence that helps them emit a soft, spooky light.
- **Tree Invader:** Honey Fungus can infect and kill living trees because its mycelium invades and rots their wood, weakening them over time.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-15 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 3-15 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Parasitizes:** [Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oak) (*Quercus robur*) — Causes root rot and decay in oaks.
- **Parasitizes:** [Scots Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scots-pine) (*Pinus sylvestris*) — Weakens and can kill conifer trees.
- **Parasitizes:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — Infects the roots and base of beech trees.
- **Eaten by:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Collected and consumed as a culinary mushroom.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## 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 to identify Honey Fungus?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Honey Fungus?

5-15 cm

### Is Honey Fungus edible?

edible

### How big is Honey Fungus?

3-15 cm

### Where is Honey Fungus usually found?

On trees

### What does Honey Fungus grow on?

wood

### When is Honey Fungus in season?

Late summer to fall

### What color are Honey Fungus spores?

White

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Honey Fungus: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/honey-fungus)