Honey Fungus
ExploreFungi
Honey Fungus
Armillaria
Honey Fungus is a sweet-looking fungus that grows on trees! It can be yellowish and often grows in clusters.
Habitat: On trees
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.
KingdomFungiPhylumBasidiomycotaClassAgaricomycetesOrderAgaricalesFamilyPhysalacriaceaeGenusArmillaria
Category
FungiRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
Be the first to snap!
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
Ability
Underground Superhighway
Honey Fungus can grow long, black 'shoelaces' underground because of special root-like structures called rhizomorphs that help them spread far.
Ability
Glowing Roots
Some Honey Fungus species can glow in the dark, because of bioluminescence that helps them emit a soft, spooky light.
Ability
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
- Edibility
- edible
- Cap Diameter
- 3-15 cm
- Growth Substrate
- wood
- Season
- Late summer to fall
- Spore Color
- White
Ecological connections
parasitizes
Oak
Quercus robur
Causes root rot and decay in oaks.
parasitizes
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris
Weakens and can kill conifer trees.
parasitizes
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
Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
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.
Also known as
Armillaria MelleaHoney MushroomRingless Honey MushroomShoestring FungusWood Rot
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 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
Snap Map
Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.
Loading map…
Recent Snaps
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.
Where to spot
Park34 sightings15 species
Virginia, US
Popes Head Park
You might spot Eastern Box Turtle, Sycamore, and Grape Family.
View guide →
Park17 sightings10 species
Tennessee, US
W.J. Freeman Park
You might spot Eurasian Collared-Dove and Honey Fungus.
View guide →
Park49 sightings8 species
California, US
Ohlone Park
You might spot Bee, Monarch, and Anna's Hummingbird.
View guide →
Park80 sightings7 species
Florida, US
Orlando Loch Haven Park
You might spot Brown Anole, Southern Live Oak, and Resurrection Fern.
View guide →
Park21 sightings3 species
Florida, US
Phelps Park
You might spot Plum Pines, Honey Fungus, and Coralbush.
View guide →
