Witchy Things

Witches hat mushroom (Hygrophorus conicus) (photo by Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, from Bugwood.org)

31 October 2011

Happy Halloween!   Here’s a selection of witchy things to celebrate the day.

Witches hat mushroom (Hygrophorus conicus), shown above, is common in the forest at this time of year..

Witch-hazel trees are blooming now in Schenley Park.

Witch-hazel blooming in Schenley Park (photo by Kate St. John)
Witch-hazel blooming (photo by Kate St. John)

The gelatinous fruiting body of Witches Butter fungus (Tremella mesenterica) feels greasy or slimy when damp.  Eeeewwwww!

Witches butter fungus (photo by Gerald Holmes, Valent USA Corporation, Bugwood.org)

Witches brooms in hackberry trees are ugly but don’t kill the tree.  They’re so common in hackberries that I use them as a clue to identify the tree in winter.

 (photo by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)

(photo credits embedded above)

2 thoughts on “Witchy Things

  1. Witches Butter fungus! Thanks!

    That must be what grows on a small old log that I keep at the bottom of the door going into my fenced garden! It closes up a space that baby bunnies could get through.

    The Witches Butter fungus comes and goes depending on how much rain we have had.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *