Honey mushrooms are considered one of the most popular and productive fruit bodies among lovers of 'quiet hunting'. They got their name because they usually grow around stumps. These mushrooms grow in large colonies, so they are harvested with great pleasure. Having found just one stump with mushrooms, you can collect several baskets of these mushrooms.
If mushrooms are mainly found on stumps, then the question arises: do mushrooms grow on trees? Translated from Latin, the word 'honeydew' means 'bracelet'. This name is not surprising, because in addition to stumps, these fruit bodies grow on diseased and dying trees, growing in the form of a circle. It is not difficult to find such mushrooms in the forest, especially if there are often a lot of them in one area.
Edible mushrooms honey agarics that grow on living trees (with photo)
Honey mushrooms have thin, flexible and long legs, reaching 10, and sometimes 15 cm in height. Its color ranges from light honey to brown, depending on the soil and the trees on which the mushrooms grow.
Pay attention to the photos of edible mushrooms growing on trees. Shown here is that each piece has a film skirt. She frames the legs of honey agarics at a young age, and in adulthood the skirt is torn and hangs in 'rags'. The caps of real mushrooms are hemispherical in shape, covered with small scales. The color of the caps ranges from creamy yellow to red shades.
Honey mushrooms growing on a tree are known to all lovers of 'quiet hunting', because they are capable of capturing large territories under their habitat. It often happens that even on living trees, honey agarics feel great. In addition, they can be found near certain types of shrubs, such as hazel, in meadows, forest glades, in ravines and in damp alder groves.
For beginner mushroom pickers, we suggest looking at photos of mushrooms that grow on trees:
However, these fruiting bodies are often found in forest clearings, such as under power lines. There, almost every stump is dotted with large groups of honey agarics. On what tree stumps do honey agarics prefer to grow? These fruiting bodies are found throughout Russia, including the Northern Hemisphere and the subtropical zone. Honey mushrooms do not grow only in the harsh areas of eternal ice. Rotten stumps of birch, alder, aspen and oak are of great advantage. But other tree species are also 'in demand' among honey agarics, for example, acacia and even fruit trees.
What trees do edible mushrooms grow on and what do they look like?
Edible mushrooms are divided into spring, summer, autumn and winter species. Let us note specifically on which trees edible mushrooms grow. Spring and summer mushrooms are mostly found on deciduous trees; trunks with damaged and rotten wood are of particular preference. And in mountainous terrain, summer mushrooms are found on spruce and spruce stumps. Honey mushrooms growing on coniferous trees have a bitter taste and dark color, although this does not affect their nutritional value in any way. Summer mushrooms have a leg up to 7 cm high and up to 1 cm in diameter. The lower part of the leg is covered with dark small scales. The 'skirt' around the leg is narrow with some steep edges.
In deciduous forests of the temperate zone of Russia, you can collect summer mushrooms from April to August. In a favorable climate, this species can bear fruit without interruption. Since summer mushrooms have false twins, experienced mushroom pickers advise to collect them only on the remains of deciduous trees, or better – exclusively on stumps left after cutting down birches.
The most popular among honey agarics is considered to be the autumn species, which is known as 'honey mushroom', 'osennik' or 'Uspensky honey mushroom'. Experienced mushroom pickers are happy to share information about which trees fall mushrooms grow on. This species begins its growth in August and continues practically until November. Most often it prefers birch and birch stumps, then aspen, maple and oak. Usually, autumn mushrooms choose trees that show signs of decay or disease. Although sometimes these mushrooms can even choose a living tree. In particular, old birch forests with felled trees or swampy birch forests with many rotten trunks and stumps are an expanse for them.
Do honey agarics grow on conifers?
On conifers, autumn mushrooms are much less common, although their beneficial properties and vitamins are not inferior to mushrooms growing on deciduous species. These mushrooms can sometimes be selected from pine and spruce, as well as their stumps.
It is worth saying that almost all types of honey agaric are considered parasites of the forest, as they affect almost 200 species of tree species. Young trees can die from honey agarics in just 3-4 years, adults – in 8-10 years. And if mushrooms fall on the garden plot, this can greatly harm the fruit trees. Honey agaric spores grow very quickly on the surface of fresh stumps. Mycelium begins to develop under the bark and destroy wood. Honey mushrooms are able to move to nearby trees and kill living tissue with their toxins. Therefore, mushrooms that grow on trees are cut, the tree is cut down, and the stump is pulled out of the ground. If it is not possible to remove the stump, it is lubricated with machine oil once every six months.
Despite the fact that mushrooms are a parasitic fungus, they are very tasty and healthy. When honey agarics are used, metabolism is normalized in the human body. The body gets enough calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and potassium. A special feature of edible mushrooms that grow on trees and stumps is a glow in the dark. If you are not too lazy to look at the mushrooms at night – the bottom of the caps of these mushrooms, as well as the threads of the mycelium, glow with a gentle glow.
Autumn mushrooms are the largest representatives of their species, since their cap reaches 15-17 cm in diameter. There is a convex tubercle in the middle of the cap, and small scales are located on the surface of brown color. The skirt, framing the leg, eventually comes off and forms a blanket hanging under the hat. Sometimes during the dry summer months, autumn mushrooms are found even on drying deciduous trees at a height of about 2-3 m from the ground. Therefore, you need to have a large stick with a hook in order to collect these fruiting bodies.
At the beginning of June, edible meadow mushrooms appear, flashing yellow-brown among tall grass in fields, pastures, along forest paths and in ravines. As you noticed, meadow mushrooms do not grow on a tree, preferring land.
The end of September and the beginning of October are notable for the beginning of the season for collecting winter mushrooms. These fruiting bodies grow in families, which grow together with their legs on fallen poplars, maples, willows, aspens, as well as on their stumps. They collect winter mushrooms all autumn before the onset of severe frosts. It is noteworthy that these mushrooms do not disappear in winter, but simply 'fall asleep'. During thaws, practically until April, they continue to grow.
Winter mushrooms on trees look like a bright red or orange spot. In the winter forest, such mushrooms are very easy to see even from a distance. They do not have false counterparts due to their late fruiting. Although winter honey fungus is considered a conditionally edible mushroom, many mushroom pickers call it the most delicious. In addition, winter mushrooms are the best for growing at home.
Do false mushrooms grow on trees and photos of mushrooms
However, autumn and summer mushrooms have false counterparts. Many are interested in the question: do false mushrooms grow on trees? The danger of these mushrooms lies in the fact that they can grow next to edible species, one might say, right on the same stump or tree. Therefore, if you find a family of honey agarics, carefully look for any false ones nearby. The main difference is the 'skirt' on the leg, which is peculiar only to edible mushrooms. Poisonous mushrooms have a wormwood taste and a disgusting smell, reminiscent of a corpse.
Gathering mushrooms is a very reckless occupation, as there is a risk with edible mushrooms to bring home in a basket and false ones. Therefore, before you go on a 'quiet hunt', refresh your memory of all the necessary differences in order to be able to recognize poisonous doubles. We offer you to see photos of false mushrooms growing on a tree, which at first glance are very similar to the real ones:
Another point that novice mushroom pickers need to remember is that do not pick mushrooms near industrial enterprises or right next to highways. In this case, even edible mushrooms can lead to poisoning and harm your health.
