Armillaria mellea (Vahl : Fr.) P. Kumm. 1871

Honey mushroom, honey fungus

About plant names...

The term “honey mushroom” applies to more than one member of this species. They live on trees or woody shrubs. They are parasitic—they attack living plants, as well as on deadwood. Sometimes, for reasons not yet understood, they “go crazy,” causing extensive root rot and destruction.

Identification: Typically the caps are yellow-brown in color. They may be sticky when wet. The caps are convex when the mushrooms are young, but may become concave later. Some are bioluminescent—they glow in the dark. The spores of this mushroom are white.

The mycelium that produces honey mushrooms is bioluminescent, creating a soft glow in rotting wood sometimes called “foxfire.”

Edibility: Young buttons are very good if the stipe is discarded (or peeled) and the buttons cooked.^{[1] [2]}

Online References:

Armillaria mellea on Michael Kuo's MushroomExpert.com

Armillaria mellea on Mykoweb.com: the Fungi of California

Armillaria mellea on CalPhotos

Armillaria mellea on Wikipedia

Armillaria mellea by Gary Emberger at Messiah College

Armillaria mellea at the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service

Armillaria mellea on Wild Mushroom Recipes (recipes)

References:

Miller, Jr., Orson K., Mushrooms of North America, E.P. Dutton, 1979, p. 102

9/23/2007 · Milford, Penn­syl­vania
≈ 11 × 8" (28 × 19 cm)

¹Mykoweb.com points out that some peoplesuffer digestive upsets when eating these

²Mushrooms of North America lists honey mushrooms as choice edibles

Armillaria mellea description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Oct 2021.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

10/23/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 5 × 6" (13 × 16 cm)

10/6/2021 · Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, Maine
≈ 11 × 7" (28 × 18 cm)

10/6/2021 · Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, Maine
≈ 13 × 9" (33 × 22 cm)

6/15/2007 · Maine · By Kathleen Williamson

9/23/2007 · Milford, Penn­syl­vania
≈ 10 × 7" (26 × 17 cm)