Mushrooms

Mushrooms are not actually plants. They belong to their own kingdom called fungi. Mushrooms grow in damp, shady places like forests. What we see above ground is just the fruit of the mushroom. Most of the fungus lives underground as a network of tiny threads.

Underground Network

Beneath the forest floor, mushrooms form huge networks of thin threads called mycelium. These networks can stretch for miles. Trees actually use these networks to share nutrients and send chemical signals to each other. Scientists call this the wood wide web.

An old postcard showing a gnome next to a red mushroom.
An old postcard showing a gnome next to a red mushroom. (ungenannt / Wikimedia Commons)

Types of Mushrooms

Some mushrooms are delicious and safe to eat, like button mushrooms and shiitake. But some are very poisonous. Never eat a wild mushroom unless an expert says it is safe. Some mushrooms glow in the dark! Others can grow as large as a car tire.

Fun Facts

  • The largest living organism is a honey mushroom covering 2,385 acres.
  • Some mushrooms glow in the dark.
  • Mushrooms are more closely related to animals than plants.

Did You Know?

The largest living organism on Earth is a honey fungus in Oregon that covers 2,385 acres, nearly four square miles! It is thousands of years old and mostly lives underground.