Honey Trap

My neighbour wrote a short letter explaining her suspicions that the fungal growths apparent in our lawn are the dreaded Honey Fungus. It is dreaded by horticulturalists for it is a parasite, destroying any woody plant it encounters. I was duly concerned for my birch trees and her shrubs.

Her gardening experience extends beyond my years and she recalls treatments freely in use in the days before Brussels intervened in all aspects of our lives. The substance in question was developed as a control for Honey or Armillaria fungus. Imaginatively named Armillatox (they must have laid awake at night for weeks dreaming up that one), it remains available as a garden cleaner, for patios and the like, but is no longer licenced for use as a pesticide. She therefore recommended a good dose of 'garden cleaning' be carried out.

Before setting about spot cleaning the lawn, I searched extensively online for an identification to these tawny coloured carbuncles. They look very much like the ringless honey fungus, but to cut a long story short (have you ever tried to identify an mushroom - there are hundreds) I'm convinced we have Paxillus involutus or Brown Roll-Rim. A fungus forming ectomycorrhizal relationships with a broad range of tree species, but especially Birch! I also added pics to ispot.org.uk and the identification was confirmed.

Far from a threat to our trees (which show no signs of ill-health expected of Honey Fungus infection), this one actually helps the plant to take up nutrients from the soil.

Its one that should not be on the menu though - Paxillus involutus was widely eaten in Central and Eastern Europe until World War II, although English guidebooks did not recommend it. In Poland, the mushroom was often eaten after pickling or salting. It was known to be a gastrointestinal irritant when ingested raw but had been presumed edible after cooking. Questions were first raised about its toxicity after German mycologist Julius Schäffer died after eating it in October 1944. The details are quite gruesome and as such, I would never risk eating any wild fungus - just not worth the risk!!