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Hello! I’m very new to all this. So two weeks ago I went round to my cousin’s and she said, these mushrooms are growing, two clusters. I’ve had the odd one in my lawn ofc but that was when it was summer. A week later, last night, I went over and these clusters had *doubled* in size in a week! I’m baffled. I’m a bit worried as well because the cat is sniffing around them, and my cousin has small children. What on earth are they? They are massive! Are they dangerous? Should I get her to cut them down? They’re about 2 foot each in diameter. It’s wild. Help! There are two pix, one of each cluster. Any help would be gratefully received.
[attachment=1]20251017_162652.jpg[/attachment] 
[attachment=0]20251017_162655.jpg[/attachment] Welcome to UK Fungi. These are honey fungus, harmless to people, harmful to trees and other woody plants.
adampembs wrote:
Welcome to UK Fungi.These are honey fungus, harmless to people, harmful to trees and other woody plants.
Hi Adam! Thank you so much for replying, I appreciate it. Will send this message to my cousin. What surprised me was the growth – no joke, these two things doubled in size in one week. They’re approaching the size of dustbin lids. Do you think we should remove them?
LizT wrote:Hi Adam! Thank you so much for replying, I appreciate it. Will send this message to my cousin. What surprised me was the growth – no joke, these two things doubled in size in one week. They’re approaching the size of dustbin lids. Do you think we should remove them?
If you removed them when they were young, before they started releasing their spores, it might have reduced their ability to spread through wind dispersal. However, the main part of the fungus (the mycelium) will be in the wood and in the soil and will spread. It can grow on dead or living wood. I would advise just looking after your plants, not pruning or moving any this autumn to reduce the chance of infection. Healthy plants have more chance of resisting an infection. Just like us!
Fungicides will also kill beneficial mycorrhizal fungi that can protect plants, improve water retention, availability of nutrients and strengthen trees from being blown over, so I advise against those.
adampembs wrote:
LizT wrote:Hi Adam! Thank you so much for replying, I appreciate it. Will send this message to my cousin. What surprised me was the growth – no joke, these two things doubled in size in one week. They’re approaching the size of dustbin lids. Do you think we should remove them?
If you removed them when they were young, before they started releasing their spores, it might have reduced their ability to spread through wind dispersal. However, the main part of the fungus (the mycelium) will be in the wood and in the soil and will spread. It can grow on dead or living wood. I would advise just looking after your plants, not pruning or moving any this autumn to reduce the chance of infection. Healthy plants have more chance of resisting an infection. Just like us!
Fungicides will also kill beneficial mycorrhizal fungi that can protect plants, improve water retention, availability of nutrients and strengthen trees from being blown over, so I advise against those.
They have been there 3 weeks only – it’s a very weedy garden (a complete overhaul is planned for next year). They are in the middle of a patch of grass – there are no plants at all in the garden. They have just sprouted randomly, they’ve been living there 5 years and it’s the first time it’s happened. So you think they’re embedded now in the garden and removing them wouldn’t really help?
LizT wrote:
[They have been there 3 weeks only – it’s a very weedy garden (a complete overhaul is planned for next year). They are in the middle of a patch of grass – there are no plants at all in the garden. They have just sprouted randomly, they’ve been living there 5 years and it’s the first time it’s happened. So you think they’re embedded now in the garden and removing them wouldn’t really help?
Grass is a plant but I know what you mean. There must be buried wood or roots or something.
If you remove them, remove the wood too and put them in a sealed polythene bag to avoid dispersing the spores. They are mature and have already released billions of spores so in that regard its too late.
adampembs wrote:
LizT wrote:
[They have been there 3 weeks only – it’s a very weedy garden (a complete overhaul is planned for next year). They are in the middle of a patch of grass – there are no plants at all in the garden. They have just sprouted randomly, they’ve been living there 5 years and it’s the first time it’s happened. So you think they’re embedded now in the garden and removing them wouldn’t really help?
Grass is a plant but I know what you mean. There must be buried wood or roots or something.
If you remove them, remove the wood too and put them in a sealed polythene bag to avoid dispersing the spores. They are mature and have already released billions of spores so in that regard its too late.
Ha! Yes, ofc it is. I have a lovely little garden at home, and I did get some mushrooms when the turf was brand new in spring, but I’ve never seen anything like this before. As you say, it’s too late to nip it in the bud, pardon the pun, bc they are so massive. I do feel they need to be removed, but ofc, once out, it’s out. They’ve rooted now, so would come back, right? We need to see what’s under them, I think.
I got here and the gardener has been – they are both gone! Slightly disappointed, lol, bc I was hoping to see the growth. Probably for the best though. Let’s see if they come back…
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