Mushrooms

Following heavy rains, a variety of mushrooms thrive in our local oak forests. They magically appear from one day until the next, some as small as a dime and many others the size of your hand or, as in this case, hands.
Our oaks are a perfect home for the Jack-O’-Lantern Mushroom. Sometimes mistaken for the edible Chanterelle Mushroom, the Jack-O’Lantern Mushroom, while not lethal, is poisonous and will produce hallucinations. They are usually found near the ground on the base of the tree, but can also be found on branches. Its name comes from it mimicking carved Halloween pumpkins as they have a similar orange color and at night they actually glow, a scientific phenomena known as bioluminescence.
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