Look closerFungi
Why mushrooms pop up after rain in Massachusetts
When: June to October
Each mushroom that pops up after a Massachusetts rain is the short-lived fruiting body of a fungus whose threadlike main body stays hidden in soil or wood.
Why this time of year
A soaking rain can raise a burst of mushrooms 2 to 10 days later, so a wet stretch of summer or fall weather is an open invitation to re-walk the yard.
How to notice it
- Two or three days after a good soaking rain, re-walk the same yard or trail.
- Check shaded lawn edges, mulch beds, dead logs, and the bases of old trees.
- Crouch and peek under a cap without touching: gills, pores, or spines?
- Visit the same mushroom tomorrow and note what changed.
Try this with kids: If the mushroom is only the fruit, where is the rest of the fungus?
mycelium is the fungus's threadlike body spread through soil, wood, or roots
Safety
- Never eat a wild mushroom.
- Look, do not pick or kick; if anyone handles one, wash hands afterward.
- Keep curious toddlers and dogs from mouthing yard mushrooms.
Sources
- massaudubon.orgWet conditions let fruiting bodies burst forward, with an increase in mushroom activity observable 2-10 days after significant rainfall; the article's example burst is from a Massachusetts July
- extension.unh.eduMushrooms are the above-ground fruiting bodies of fungi living in the soil; the vast majority of fungal mass is below ground; prolonged wet humid weather triggers fruiting; many mushrooms are poisonous, so never eat an unknown mushroom
- massaudubon.orgOctober 5 entry on puffball mushrooms confirms October fruiting in Massachusetts
In the guide for June, July, August, September, October