Right now the snow is mostly gone, leaving grass and leaves and interesting mushrooms out for us to see. We had unusual mushrooms in our front yard this fall that I’ve not seen before. These oval ones all growing in a group remind me of mini loaves of bread.
Mini Loaf Mushrooms in November
Each one has a crack in its top.
Mini Loaf Mushroom with Crack in Top
This type looks like a clump of dead leaves, all curled up on the lawn. It didn’t photograph well at all!
Dead Leaf Mushroom
This one had shriveled from its full size.
Dead Leaf Mushroom – Hard to See!
Here it is after I picked it up.
Dead Leaf Mushroom Shrunken
A couple months later the snow once more receded leaving this same fungus, now much larger. I picked up a maple leaf lodged in the center and released a cloud of spores.
Brown Leaf Mushroom – Fuzzy Part is Center Cup
I don’t know what these are, but they look just like dead leaves or an old windfall apple, dark red brown, shaped like a big, reddish brown water lily. They grow on the north side of the driveway, just below tall spruce border trees. I’ve seen them a few years now.
Cup Shaped Smaller Brown Leaf Mushroom
The loaf of bread mushrooms grow under some trees on the other side of our yard. I first noticed them mid-November on a cold but sunny day. I took my camera and went around the front yard looking for more neat ones.
These unobtrusive, small tan mushrooms and a group of round white mushrooms were growing right behind the bead loaf group in a partly shaded spot under the spruce trees. I think the round white ones are the mini bread loaf type, just smaller and not as developed. The brown blobs above the white ones are mysteries.
Mini Loaf and Other Mushrooms
Here’s a close up of the brown blob variety. They might be the usual toadstool type that looks contorted because several grew together.
More Unknown Mushrooms
These last two were right under the spruce trees where it is always shaded. The second photo shows two small white mushrooms growing around the base of the odd brown variety.
Two More Unknown Mushrooms
Wizened Mushrooms with White Ones Growing Alongside
It’s fascinating how many different varieties our lawn harbors – and all these were within 200 feet of each other!
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