Mushroom Brains

I found a brain while I was walking through my woodlands this week. At least I thought it was a brain. Or a pile of cooked egg noodles, which seemed just as unlikely as a brain, since civilization is at least a half mile away in all directions. Research indicated that it was a natural growth in the genus Sparassis, an edible fungus known as cauliflower mushroom. The very helpful www.MushroomExpert.com provided a key on how to distinguish the various species, but also described a “look-alike” species, Podoscypha aculeata.

My particular specimens (I found another nearby) are Sparassis americana. A fairly rare fungus, it sprouts from the roots of pine trees, not trunks, and is an indicator of brown root rot below the surface. This means I need to keep an eye on the host trees, and will have them removed when declining health warrants.

Www.Foragerchef.com describes the cauliflower mushroom as “one of the most delicious wild mushrooms you can hunt…a choice edible species.” The authors give specific instructions on cleaning (cumbersome process with lots of references to hidden insect larvae) and several recipes, ranging from soups to cauliflower “steaks.”

In the interest of science and from innate curiosity, I made a personal sacrifice for the collective benefit of my readers. As a result, I can tell you that there are marked differences in definitions of “delicious.” Edible, yes, but not something I would praise as a delicacy.

If you decide to forage for these or any other wild mushrooms, please be certain of the identity before you consume them. Several common mushrooms have deadly look-alikes.

Cauliflower mushroom looks like a pile of cooked, curly egg noodles.

The angle of this photo is deceptive. The fungus is larger than a softball.

Orange Jelly Balls in Cedar Trees

Have you noticed an odd element in your cedar trees recently? If you see something about the size of a tennis ball that appears to be covered in strings of orange jelly, you are witnessing evidence of Cedar-Apple Rust. Before they “bloom” into alien-looking maturity, they appear as small, warty knobs a little larger than a nickel.  With their dimples, these galls look a little bit like brown golf balls.

Cedar-Apple Rust is a common fungus in the southeast, especially in warm, rainy weather. To survive, the fungus must spend part of its life on apple trees and part on something in the Juniperus family. In the south, that is typically Eastern Red Cedar. The fungus cannot survive without both hosts (apple/crabapple and something in the juniper family).

While unsightly, the fungus balls don’t have a major impact on cedar trees.  Apples, on the other hand, develop round rust-colored spots on the leaves. The younger the leaves, the more susceptible the tree is to airborne spores.  A tree can lose a majority of its leaves in serious infestation.  Fruit is dotted with dark spots that damage appearance and quality.

If you want to include an apple tree in your home landscape, be sure to select a cultivar that says it is resistant to Cedar-Apple Rust. You can reduce the impact on cedars by removing the jelly balls, but many of them are held in the upper branches of trees, outside of safe reach. It takes two years for the fungus to mature, so you can reduce future problems by removing galls when they are in the hard, warty stage.