Finding fungi in the rain is fun. When being inside makes me antsy, it’s time to put on my rain gear to get close and personal with the mushrooms popping up everywhere.

Fungi in the Rain

These are the ones I found on Tuesday (5/27/25) afternoon. It was raining enough to need my rain gear, but not too hard. All of the ones in this first set (except the red ones) required me to get down into the creek for the photos. They were growing on the embankment among and beneath the roots of a tree.

For the most part, my interest in fungi is mostly aesthetic. I love seeing them. I enjoy eating only a select few that I know how to identify definitively, and none of these fall into that category.

The photos should open in a new window and get larger if you click on them. My favorites of all of these are the ghostly little ones (3,4) I found beneath a rocky moss-covered ledge among the tree roots.

The red ones at the bottom are POSSIBLY called Russula emetica. Judging from their last name, obviously this is not one to eat… unless you enjoy vomiting.

Fuzzy Oysters on Wednesday

This is the first time I’ve seen fuzzy fungi of any sort. These look like oyster mushrooms but are the wrong color and the fuzz is definitely not typical. So, I’m not sure what they are.

A quick search shows me Panus neostrigosus as a possible match. They’re growing on the old dead red oak in the front yard.

Oyster mushrooms ARE one of the kinds that I’d eat if I found. These aren’t the same, though, and I am only enjoying these for their beauty.

When it Rains

I always have to go outside to feed chickens and horses in the rain, but sometimes it’s not enough outdoor time to just do that.

Might as well do something fun, like muck about finding fungi in the rain.

What do you do after you’ve been cooped up for too long?