What Are Those Orange Mushrooms in Your Garden? Leave or Remove?
It may be shocking to see orange mushrooms growing in your yard, but they are not necessarily harmful. Some are poisonous—sure. However, others are edible! Orange mushrooms look gorgeous and may also mean that you have a good garden.
Generally, orange mushrooms in a yard are not dangerous. They are an indicator of good soil fertility. Some orange mushrooms such as sulfur shelf can even be safely eaten. However, orange mushrooms can be removed if garden space is limited. In some rare cases, orange mushrooms can be poisonous like the jack-o-lantern and fly amanita mushrooms.
As you move forward, you will learn about five common orange mushrooms. Which of these are poisonous? Which of them are safe to keep and eat? More details will be revealed below!
Are Orange Mushrooms Bad for Your Yard?
Orange mushrooms are not bad for yards and gardens. In reality, they are a sign that the soil in the area is rich in nutrients.
A good nutrient source is one of the causes of orange mushroom growth. (We will discuss more of this later!)
In other words, the presence of mushrooms indicates that nutrients are abundant in that particular location. They will not damage trees and lawns. Hence, having orange mushrooms should not be concerning from a gardening standpoint.
However, there are specific cautions that you need to take note of. More specifically, certain orange mushrooms are poisonous to people and pets. This is mainly why many gardeners want to remove the orange mushrooms from their yards.
3 Causes of Orange Mushroom Growth
Orange mushrooms grow because of the rainy season, high nutrient availability, and humidity higher than 80%.
The growth of orange mushrooms can be observed once the following factors are present.
1. Rainy Season
The growth of orange mushrooms can be observed more during the rainy season. This is because mushrooms thrive best in wet conditions.
You can see orange mushrooms growing in places with high moisture such as logs, trees, and wet soils. This is because they love water. Mushrooms use water to make themselves bigger and also to reproduce faster!
2. High Nutrient Availability
Nutrient-rich soil is a favorable place for orange mushrooms to grow.
Just like other organisms, mushrooms need nutrients for them to grow and multiple
If you’ll notice, they will only grow in potent sources of nutrients such as trees, sawdusts, logs, and soil.
3. High Humidity
High humidity is necessary for orange mushroom growth since they are composed of almost 90% water. A relative humidity of at least 80% is ideal for the growth and development of orange mushrooms.
What will happen if there is low humidity? Orange mushrooms will dry up, discolor, and disintegrate.
Let us compare this to our garden plants. If humidity is not available anywhere, your plant will dry out right? It will not look good! This is because plants are composed of up to 95% water.
The same thing goes for mushrooms. Since they are made up of almost 90% water, they will also need high humidity to facilitate proper growth.
5 Common Orange Mushrooms in Yards
Jack-o-lantern, orange peel, sulfur shelf, fly amanita, and chanterelle are common orange mushrooms found in gardens. However, jack-o-lanterns and fly amanita are poisonous. The rest are edible but may cause side effects for some people such as gastric discomfort.
1. Jack-O-Lantern (Omphalotus illudens)
Jack-o-lantern , also known as false chanterelle, is an orange-yellow mushroom with gills.
It can be found in stump bases or in decaying tree roots. One should be careful not to ingest this mushroom since it is a poisonous one. When we say poisonous, we pertain to negative digestive effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea.
This one is tricky! Why? Because it is confused with chanterelle, which is an edible mushroom!
2. Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia)
Orange peel fungus is a clustered mushroom that can be found in grassy areas.
They are edible but hard to collect since they are brittle, thus they tend to disintegrate when touched.
3. Sulfur Shelf (Laetiporus sulphureus)
Sulfur shelf , also called chicken of the woods, is a porous orange-yellow mushroom that can be found on pieces of wood and logs. It grows well during summer and autumn.
This orange mushroom is edible. People who have eaten it noted that their tender edges are especially tasty.
4. Fly Amanita (Amanita muscaria)
Fly amanita is a poisonous mushroom that can be seen in a variety of colors ranging from reddish-orange, orange, to yellow.
They have caps with dirty white to white spots embedded like warts. Commonly, you’ll find them under trees.
5. Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius)
Chanterelle is a bright yellow to orange mushroom found growing on oak and hemlock trees from June to September.
It’s also an edible orange mushroom. However, it could be mistaken with jack-o-lantern mushroom, also called fake chanterelle, which is poisonous.
Furthermore, some people experience gastric discomfort after they eat chanterelle. Thus, extra caution must be taken.
If you are unsure of what those orange mushrooms in your yard are, then it is better not to eat them!
Should You Remove Orange Mushrooms?
Orange mushrooms are typically removed if they are taking up needed garden space and if they are poisonous.
Unnecessary and unwanted mushrooms can compete with space and nutrients that your plants need.
They could also become a hazard if a gardener also has pets.
You can also choose not to remove orange mushrooms, especially if they are edible and are not disturbing your garden space!
Learn more about how to remove these in our article on mushrooms on houseplants.
4 Ways to Remove Orange Mushrooms in Your Yard
Orange mushrooms can be removed from yards and gardens through manual picking , or by using baking soda, vinegar, and dishwashing soap.
1. Picking Out
One can remove mushrooms physically by hand, using a knife, or even a lawn mower. This is the easiest and a cheap way to remove orange mushrooms in your lawn! Although this is an easy approach, you cannot prevent spores from spreading through this method.
2. Baking Soda
The pH of baking soda is not favorable for mushroom growth, so it acts like a fungicide!
Ideally, 2 tablespoons of baking soda should be mixed with a liter of water. This solution could be sprayed directly onto the mushrooms.
Another way to use baking soda is to sprinkle the baking soda directly into the mushrooms and water them.
3. Vinegar
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is an effective ingredient against garden mushrooms.
To use vinegar for mushroom removal, combine 1 part white vinegar and 4 parts water. Mix them well, transfer the solution into a spray bottle, and mist it on the mushrooms.
4. Dishwashing Soap
This approach is a more tedious one, yet the most effective one that can kill even the spores.
Remove unwanted mushrooms using dishwashing soap by mixing 2 tablespoons of it with 3 gallons of water.
After creating this mixture, you will need a pointy material like a chopstick or a metal straw.
Poke holes into the soil surrounding the mushroom and pour the mixture to kill their mycelium—the counterpart of plant roots.
FAQs
Can you use fungicides to remove orange mushrooms?
Fungicides can be used for mushroom removal, however, it is not recommended since it is not worth the investment. This is also in consideration of the fact that most orange mushrooms are not damaging lawns. So the best way to control them is to manually pick them out.
What will happen if you let orange mushrooms grow in your yard?
Orange mushrooms do not harm lawns. As a result, it will have no negative impact on the yard. However, removing them is also necessary if you have pets because certain orange mushrooms, such as jack-o-lantern and fly amanita, are poisonous to them.
Do poisonous mushrooms have the same effect on humans and animals?
Poisonous mushrooms can cause vomiting, dizziness, abdominal cramps, and even diarrhea in humans. Only vomiting can also be observed in animals. However, some animals such as rats have already developed a tolerance to poisonous mushrooms, especially those who live in the wild.
Summary of Orange Mushrooms in Yard
Orange mushrooms do not harm lawns. Instead, they indicate that the soil is rich in nutrients. Nevertheless, they can be removed if they take up garden space or are poisonous.
Orange mushrooms such as jack-o-lantern and fly amanita are poisonous, while orange peel fungus, sulfur shelf, and chanterelle are edible.
To remove orange mushrooms, one could pick them out by hand, using a knife, or a lawn mower. Common household items such as baking soda, vinegar, and dishwashing soaps can also be used to remove mushrooms.
Sources
- “Wild Mushrooms” by Williams, S.E. in Ohio State University
- “Omphalotus illudens” by Emberger, G. in Messiah College
- “Why are there so many mushrooms coming up in my yard and garden, and what can I do about them?” by Master Gardeners & Extension Specialists in University of New Hampshire
- “Mushrooms in the Yard: To Eat or Not to Eat has been a Common Question” by Young, C.E. in Ohio State University
- “Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom” by Cox, D. and Miller, A. in University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- “Recent rains have mushrooms popping up in Georgia lawns” by Tyson, W.G. and Williams, T. in University of Georgia
