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There's a Fungus Among Us! by Kerry D. Heafner

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There's a Fungus Among Us! by Kerry D. Heafner Northeast Region Horticulture News Volume 1, Issue 3 Fall, 2018 There’s a Fungus Among Us! By Kerry D. Heafner NE Region Master Gardener Groups: As daytime temperatures moderate NORTHEAST LOUISIANA MASTER and relative humidity levels remain high, the GARDENERS, OUACHITA PARISH. flora of fleshy fungi in North Louisiana really shows out. Conditions are perfect for mush- RIVER RIDGE MASTER GARDENERS, rooms to show themselves in our landscapes WEST CARROLL AND EAST CARROLL and many clients may be intimidated by mush- PARISHES. rooms and not fully understand what they rep- DELTA MASTER GARDENERS, CON- resent or may wonder if they are harmful to CORDIA, CATAHOULA, AND TENSAS their gardens. Other people may wonder if the PARISHES. mushrooms growing on their property are edi- D’ARBONNE MASTER GARDENERS, ble and be tempted to trial them on a dinner UNION PARISH. plate. Of course, the LSU AgCenter does not recommend that wild mushrooms be con- sumed unless their identification has been confirmed by an experienced, professional mycologist (one who studies fungi). The good news is that only a small percentage of mushrooms are dangerously tox- ic, and simply touching a deadly poisonous mushroom is essentially harmless. The tissue has to be ingested in order for the dangerously toxic mushrooms to do their damage. And, that damage comes in the form of organ failure up to 48 hours AFTER ingestion. Some mushrooms are just mildly toxic and cause stomach upset of varying degrees. A common mushroom found in lawns in our area is called “The Vomiter” for good reason. Chlo- rophyllum molybidtes is a large, white mush- Northeast Region room typically forming “fairy rings” in lawns of Horticulture Agents: all our turfgrasses. Because they are almost KERRY HEAFNER: solid white, they bear a striking resemblance to MOREHOUSE, OUACHITA, AND UNION some of the lethally toxic mushrooms called PARISHES “Destroying Angels” or “Death Angels” in the DONNA LEE: EAST CARROLL, WEST genus Amanita. C. molybdites can be readily CARROLL, AND MADISON PARISHES. distinguished from it’s lethal cousins by its habi- tat (open, grassy areas instead of wooded are- Top: Cap of Chlorophyllum molybdites is white and KYLIE MILLER: CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES as), and by the white gills turning sea foam may be large. Middle: The gills of C. molybdites turn sea foam green shortly after the mushroom is picked. green shortly after the mushroom is picked. CAROL PINNELL-ALISON: FRANKLIN Gills of Amanita stay white after being picked. Bottom: A fairy ring of C. molybdites in a grassy road AND RICHLAND PARISHES median. Pictures by Kerry D. Heafner. Northeast Region Horticulture News A Fungus Among Us! (continued) Dangerously toxic species in our area fall into the genus Amanita, spe- cifically for our area: A. bisporigera, A. elliptosperma, and A. virosiformis groups, all grouped into Section Phalloideae of the genus Amanita. They are found under canopies of oak and pine because they are symbi- otic with tree roots and allow the trees to more efficiently absorb some nutrients and water from the soil. Solid white mushrooms, white gills, white cap, white stalk, white spores, distinguish dangerous taxa from other white mushrooms. Another important character is the little cup, just at ground level, that the stalk sits in. This is called the volva (obscured by a piece of bark in the picture at left), and is a hallmark character of the genus Amanita. Their wooded habitats are also distin- guished from a lawn or pasture habitat where other white mushrooms may occur. Members of the genus Agaricus (bottom left) are white mush- rooms that often occur in lawns or pastures and may be mistaken for one of the deadly amanitas. In fact, A. bisporus is cultivated as the widely sold grocery store mushroom. We call them protobello mush- rooms when they are fully expanded. When A. bisporus and A. cam- pestris, another common lawn mushroom, are fairly young, gills are pink and turn brown either as the mushroom ages or soon after the mush- room is picked. Unlike in Amanitas, members of the genus Agaricus will have no volva at the stalk’s base. It should be emphasized that just because some mushrooms found in lawns and pastures are in the same genus as the grocery store mushroom does NOT mean that they are safe to consume! As we all know, small children have a propensity for putting things they pick up into their mouths. Fortunately, wild mushroom poi- sonings are rare in our area. However, parents still need to be aware of what may be out in the yard that little ones may encounter. Simply touching a poisonous mushroom is not dangerous. Mushroom tissue has to be ingested for any toxins to take effect. Top: Amanita bisporigera and similar species are deadly poisonous and distinguished from other species by their solid white body and gills. They will also often have an unpleasant, chlorox-like odor. They are found under oaks and pines. Bottom: The genus Agaricus is comprised of common lawn mushrooms that may be mistaken for deadly Amanitas. Pink gills that quickly turn chocolate brown distinguish them from dangerous species. Pictures by Kerry Heafner. Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 3 There’s a Fungus Among Us! (continued) Other species of white mush- rooms may also be mistaken for deadly Amanitas. Leucoag- aricus americanus (Left) is often found in beds mulched with wood chips. Ink caps, Coprinus and Coprinopsis, are solid white at first, then deli- quesce into a black liquid as a way to disperse spores (Right). Photographs by Kerry Heafner. Fall Landscapes By Kylie C. Miller A change of season brings on a change in dé- cor and landscape. Garden mums are a fall favorite, sold in almost every nursery or garden center, and begin blooming in late September and October. These plants, also known as chrysanthemums, are short, dome shaped, and covered in flowers. These popular plants come in colors of yellow, bronze, white, pink, orange, and purple that attractively fit into any land- scape design. If you are looking for instant impact for an event, you may select mums that are already in full bloom. However, if you choose plants with closed Garden mums are fall staples in Louisiana! Photograph by Randy buds and healthy foliage they may last you as long as 6 LaBauve, LSU AgCenter. weeks. Mums that are bought already in full bloom, cool season colors that look great in beds or containers. Orna- will not stay attractive as long. Once you get them mental kale and cabbage transplants are often found together home, you can replant garden mums in your beds or in in garden centers and have only a few differences. Ornamental new containers. They perform best in full sun and need cabbage is more uniform and has relatively smooth leaves. Kale water daily to keep the soil moist, but not saturated. It has textured or feathery leaves. Together, the mix of different is best to water from the base of the plant, under the colors and leaf textures is eye catching in your containers or blooms, using a watering can or garden hose. landscape. Selecting the correct variety to grow depends on Aside from the traditional mums, another your individual preference or location needs. Redbor kale, increasingly popular option is ornamental kale and which is also edible, is a Louisiana Super Plant. cabbage. Their attractive leaves com in brilliant Page 3 Northeast Region Horticulture News Fall Landscapes (continued) Kale Cabbage ‘Redbor’ kale (picture right) Redbor Osaka is an excellent choice for Glamour Red Toyko achieving cool season color and texture. Edible and Chidori Red Pigeon ornamental, it is a Louisiana Nogoya Purple Super Plant! Peacock Photograph by Igor Kamalov. Kale and cabbage both like well-drained soil in full sun. Unfortunately, like our gardens, insect control will be important to retain the aesthetics. Worms are the largest concern and there are several insecticides labeled for control. Treat them when you begin to see insect activity, and follow label directions. Another interesting plant to add to your landscape is ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard. It has hardy petioles of rainbow colors like red, gold, yellow, and white that look stunning in the landscape. It is also edible, and a good source of calcium, potassium, iron, vitamins A and C and riboflavin. Swiss chard is easy to grow, requires full sun, and can be cooked like spinach or other mild greens. It looks great mixed with pansies, kale, or any other plants in your landscape. Finally, you might want to consider ornamental peppers in your fall landscapes. These attention grabbing plants come with bright fruit and foliage that come in many sizes and colors. Ornamental peppers can be purple, yellow, red, or orange and may have multiple colors on the same plant. Plant pepper plants in full sun and space plants accord- ing to their maturity size. These traditional and non-traditional ornamentals produce many bright colors and leaf textures that make your landscape and containers interesting. They look great when you mix and match your favorites to create your own personal fall display. Page 4 Volume 1, Issue 3 Do We Need to Continue With Lawn Care in the Fall? By Donna R. Lee The answer is a resounding yes! Although our lawns do not need as much tender care as they do in the active growing seasons of spring and summer, there are still tasks we can complete to improve our lawn health. Typically in the fall months our temperature begins to decrease which will slow down the growth of our lawns. This does not mean no growth. We will still need to mow as needed but most likely not as often.
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