alex, thank you for another beautiful journey shared. i feel as though i have been out in the woods looking at and sitting with the mushrooms as i finish your piece, a meditation on the continually beauty of this world, both below and above ground. thank you for this lesson on "seeing".
I do notice mushrooms with curiosity, wonder, and admiration for their unique diversity, shapes, and beauty. We regularly eat the same mushroom varieties from the grocery store. I've also heard about experienced mushroom hunters mistakenly identify an edible with a poisonous mushroom and die, so no foraging for edible mushrooms for me, yet. There seems to be an overwhelming amount of things to know and remember, so I won't take the time to read and study up on the subject. But, I would like to learn about edible mushrooms in short easy to read posts that might give illustrations, and common rules for easy to identify edible mushrooms that are safe, delicious, or medicinal. Would this be the post?
I'm with you on a lot of this! It's taken a few years of enjoying and admiring and learning about mushrooms before I felt comfortable eating any that we found. I've learned what ones grow near us that are edible and EASY to identify unmistakably. There are lots of edible ones out there with poisonous lookalikes, but there are quite a few varieties that you can safely ID with just a few points of detail—though it depends on where you live. I don't post specifically about mushrooms, but if you're interested, there is probably some good info if you run a search for edible wild mushrooms in your area! I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone eat wild foraged mushrooms without doing some diligent research first.
haha—i'm actually working on a proposal for an illustrated book about mushrooms JUST LIKE THIS! the mycelia of thousands of species of fungi are fully intertwined with the roots of basically every plant, tree, shrub, you name it. they ferry resources between different plants, help plants absorb nutrients from the soil, help create new soil by breaking down organic matter. without fungi, there would be no plants, no forests, no animals, and no US!
Keenly observed and beautifully drawn / written Alex! If you ever spy a copy of the late great British cookbook author Jane Grigson’s “The Mushroom Feast” (1975), recommend snapping it up !!
Alex, I hope I'm not as nuts as this seems, but wanted to let you know that Baggu.com at the moment has a bunch of stuff in a mushroom print. Okay, I'm going to stop this now.
not too many visible mushrooms in the high desert - but we had a sneaky phallus impudicus (the common stinkhorn - although the latin is waaaay more fun) under one of the garden containers in the middle of the yard last year. Thanks for another lovely piece Alex. Enjoy your fun-guy fall!
alex, thank you for another beautiful journey shared. i feel as though i have been out in the woods looking at and sitting with the mushrooms as i finish your piece, a meditation on the continually beauty of this world, both below and above ground. thank you for this lesson on "seeing".
thank you, Judy! and thank you for your continued readership, it really means a lot to me <3
I do notice mushrooms with curiosity, wonder, and admiration for their unique diversity, shapes, and beauty. We regularly eat the same mushroom varieties from the grocery store. I've also heard about experienced mushroom hunters mistakenly identify an edible with a poisonous mushroom and die, so no foraging for edible mushrooms for me, yet. There seems to be an overwhelming amount of things to know and remember, so I won't take the time to read and study up on the subject. But, I would like to learn about edible mushrooms in short easy to read posts that might give illustrations, and common rules for easy to identify edible mushrooms that are safe, delicious, or medicinal. Would this be the post?
I'm with you on a lot of this! It's taken a few years of enjoying and admiring and learning about mushrooms before I felt comfortable eating any that we found. I've learned what ones grow near us that are edible and EASY to identify unmistakably. There are lots of edible ones out there with poisonous lookalikes, but there are quite a few varieties that you can safely ID with just a few points of detail—though it depends on where you live. I don't post specifically about mushrooms, but if you're interested, there is probably some good info if you run a search for edible wild mushrooms in your area! I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone eat wild foraged mushrooms without doing some diligent research first.
I loved this. How do the filaments keep the ecosystem functioning smoothly? What do they do?
You probably think I should just read a book, and I do too, but it wouldn't have these great funny drawings.
haha—i'm actually working on a proposal for an illustrated book about mushrooms JUST LIKE THIS! the mycelia of thousands of species of fungi are fully intertwined with the roots of basically every plant, tree, shrub, you name it. they ferry resources between different plants, help plants absorb nutrients from the soil, help create new soil by breaking down organic matter. without fungi, there would be no plants, no forests, no animals, and no US!
Thank you! Looking forward to the book WITH funny pictures!
Alex, this is thoughtful and amazing and I'm inclined to think that you are very, very worthy. Just love this.
thank you!!
Keenly observed and beautifully drawn / written Alex! If you ever spy a copy of the late great British cookbook author Jane Grigson’s “The Mushroom Feast” (1975), recommend snapping it up !!
oooh i'll keep an eye out for it!! thank you!!
I love it! thank you for reminding me to open my eyes
thank you for reading!!
Alex, I hope I'm not as nuts as this seems, but wanted to let you know that Baggu.com at the moment has a bunch of stuff in a mushroom print. Okay, I'm going to stop this now.
not nuts at all! I'm gonna check it out!!
Lovely!
thank you!!
not too many visible mushrooms in the high desert - but we had a sneaky phallus impudicus (the common stinkhorn - although the latin is waaaay more fun) under one of the garden containers in the middle of the yard last year. Thanks for another lovely piece Alex. Enjoy your fun-guy fall!
love a good impudent phallus!!! so glad you enjoyed <3
So very true!