More than meets the eye
The honey mushroom is one of the most impressive fungi out there. Currently the largest living organism on the planet is a honey mushroom beneath the ground of Oregon’s Malheur National Forest. It’s underground network of mycelium stretches out for an incredible 3.4 square miles. This particular organism is said to be somewhere around 2,400 years old.
The honey mushroom is part of the genus Armillaria and is a parasitic fungi, living on trees and woody shrubs. Honey mushrooms are known to cause white root rot, a disease that can be quite destructive to a woodland. Because Armillaria can also feed on dead plant material, it has no problem killing its hosts and continuing to feed and spread on its dead host. For this reason, the honey mushroom is one of the most aggressive, destructive, and invasive mushrooms in existence.
Description
- Found in medium to large clusters in autumn growing on wood
- Caps are yellow to brown and are somewhat sticky. Caps also have tiny, erect hairs sticking up from the center
- Gills are attached and are off-white to pinkish.
- Spore print is white.
- Stems have a skirt-like ring of tissue from a veil that can conceal the gills on a young mushroom
Scientific name: There are about 10 species within the Armillaria genus. The most common species in the green mountains of Vermont and all of New England is Armillaria mellea.
Look-a-likes: Be careful not to confuse the honey mushroom with the jack-0-lantern, or the deadly galerina.
Eating the Honey Mushroom
It is important to always cook Armillaria mellea thoroughly as they are mildly poisonous raw. This means that they can cause an upset stomach or indigestion in some people if not fully cooked. It is also important to remember that everyone is different, and will react to different mushrooms differently. Although there is nothing all that serious about a honey mushroom ‘poisoning’, it does make sense to start by eating just a handful or so for your fist time. Better to start small than be complaining about an upset stomach all night. They are best cooked slowly in a saute to preserve their mild, nutty flavor.