Top 20 Most Common Mushrooms in St. Augustine

1. Christmas lichen

2. False turkey-tail

A common woodland fungus found across North America, the false turkey-tail thrives in wet environs and can be found in copious quantities on decaying wood. The species is so-called because it looks similar the also-common Turkey Tail (Tremetes versicolor) - both species grow in thin, roughly semi-circular sheets. False turkey-tails have tough, woody bodies and are considered to be inedible.

3. Column stinkhorn

The slime of the column stinkhorn emits an extremely foul odour, but many insects, particularly flies, find this slime very attractive. Attracting flies is the fungus' method for spreading its spores. This warm climate fungus has been introduced to North America, probably together with exotic plants.

4. Leiotrametes lactinea

Leiotrametes lactinea thrives in warmer climates growing on decaying and dead trees, stumps, and branches. The white-rot fungus provides an important ecological service by aiding in the decay of dead wood by removing lignin, which is the organic material in the tree’s cell walls that prevent it from decaying.

5. False parasol

Though the false parasol appears unassuming, the species is famous—or, infamous—for its toxicity. It looks unfortunately similar to Agericus campestrus, a commonly eaten mushroom, but the false parasol can be distinguished by its highly unusual green spore print. Although they are no good to eat, they can be pretty to look at. The species may grow in ring-shaped groups in meadows and on forest floors in what are sometimes called "fairy circles."

6. Tropical white polypore

Tropical white polypore(Favolus tenuiculus) can be most often found on pieces of decaying wood, particularly in areas replete with moisture. Until recently it was a member of the genus Polyporus, which has since been subdivided. Named for its evocative appearance, the species is a favorite food of local insect species.

7. Golden reishi

The golden reishi is a tough-fleshed fungus that can be found on dead or live hardwoods, and sometimes conifers, sporting deep shades of red, orange or yellow, although some can be quite pale. While some claim that the golden reishi may convey health benefits, there is no evidence to support this, and the species is considered inedible.

8. Powder-puff lichen

9. Hairy hexagonia

The hairy hexagonia (Hexagonia hydnoides) is not the most common mushroom you'll find, but has very distinctive qualities. Stiff, dark brown, bristle-like hairs emerge from an ochre flat cap and are found growing from a decaying tree stump or wood. The large pores on the cap's underside create an almost sponge-like appearance, and the stem is otherwise not visible.

10. Snow fungus

Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) is so-named not because it is associated with winter, but, rather, because its fruitbodies look like little piles of snow fungus on the ground. This fungus actually inhabits very warm - tropical and subtropical - locations around the globe. Snow fungus does not have much taste, but it is cultivated for culinary use across East Asia, where it is often added to thicken soups and desserts.

11. Red chanterelle

Red chanterelles can be found growing within hardwood forests across eastern North America. These small but striking mushrooms range from orange to red to pink in color. Edible and boasting complex flavors, many chanterelles are highly sought after. The red chanterelle, though less famous than some of its close relatives, is no exception. This species can be used in all sorts of recipes, with a vaguely sweet or piney taste.

12. Fragile dapperling

The fragile dapperling is a tropical and subtropical woodland species. As its name suggests, this mushroom is so tender and fragile that picking it becomes a real challenge. The stem is very thin and it easily snaps. The edibility of the fragile dapperling is unknown, but the mushroom is probably insufficient for any kind of meal.

13. Crowded parchment

The crowded parchment is a common mushroom that can be found on dead hardwood material. The species is so-named because it grows in very thin, sheet-like shelves, which often become folded when they run up against each other. Crowded parchment is usually found in shades of brown, tan, or orange.

14. Fairy inkcap

The mushrooms of the fairy inkcap species have a tendency to congregate in large masses over dead tree stumps and decaying roots. They appear all around the world from early spring all the way to the first frosts, but each fruit only lasts a few days before turning black and distributing its spores.

15. Turkey tail

The distinctively-striped turkey tail fungus grows on stumps and logs all over the forests of the northern hemisphere. It is, in fact, probably the most common species you will find. That doesn't mean this mushroom is plain, however; each cap is uniquely patterned. Look for bands of alternating textures as well as color.

16. Peach-colored fly agaric

If you're looking for peach-colored fly agaric (Amanita persicina), start by hunting around in the leaf litter of hemlock, pine, and oak trees on the eastern coast of North America. Their rotund cap can commonly be overlooked, but well worth seeking out just to view the freckles and color. This species is poisonous, so take nothing but a photograph.

17. Bush beard lichen

Bush beard lichen is a shrub-like lichen. It is called Bush beard lichen after its white and dangling heads that have the appearance of beards. It is incredibly small at only 4 cm tall and can be found on deadwood bark.

18. Ravenel's stinkhorn

Ravenel's stinkhorn (Phallus ravenelii), as its quite evocative common name may suggest, is easily identified by the pungent odor that emanates from this diminutive mushroom. The elongated, spongy cap towers over a plain white stem. The cap itself secretes not only a strong scent but also a slime that attracts various insects. The repulsive smell makes it inedible and extremely undesirable.

19. Hygrophorus milky

Hygrophorus milky is a mycorrhizal mushroom, meaning it forms relationships with trees via connections to their roots. This mushroom is particularly associated with oak trees. As a Lactarius species, the gills of this mushroom releases a milky-white latex when disturbed.

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