For those who dare—meet the Bay Area’s spookiest plants (and two freaky fungi).
Bay Nature’s Hall of Botanical Horrors
October 26, 2023 •
Fungi
All about mushrooms.
A Better Way to Forage Matsutake Mushrooms
October 12, 2023 •
“Xayviish has far more personality than any grocery-store mushroom,” writes Sara Calvosa Olson, a Karuk tribal member. “It’s a meaty but delicate time machine, whisking your spirit back to your gathering place.”
How the DNA We Leave Behind Can Help Conservation
May 3, 2023 •
Bits of DNA linger on the forest floor, in the ocean, and even in the air—and these strands have stories to tell, back at the lab. Here’s how environmental DNA (aka ‘eDNA’) is starting to transform how ecologists work in the Bay Area and beyond.
The Giant Cypress Agaricus: A Chonk of a Mushroom with a Strong Sense of Place
March 23, 2023 •
This formidable fungus has been traveling up and down the California coast as a Monterey-cypress groupie. But how does it follow its favorite tree?
Meet the Latticed Stinkhorn, A Fragrant Fungus Beloved of Flies
January 25, 2023 •
Clathrus ruber looks more like an errant pickleball than a traditional toadstool, and it is born from an egg, which some people say tastes like radish. It’s a flashy European transplant now at home in California, worth learning on your next winter fungus foray.
The Nearly Unkillable Eucalyptus Meets Its Match
October 20, 2022 •
Eucalyptus trees on Albany Hill are wasting away from blight. Some people may cheer—but these trees are also home to endangered monarchs.
The Most Eye-Catching Mushrooms to See in Winter
February 10, 2021 •
A naturalist on the “flowers of winter”
Why Do Mushrooms Return to the Same Place?
January 6, 2020 •
Do mushrooms require a certain kind of substrate?
As Temperatures Change, What Organisms Move North to California?
September 18, 2019 •
What are some the biological consequences of climate change in Northern California?
Where Do Morel Mushrooms Grow in Northern California?
May 14, 2019 •
They’re one of the most sought-after edible mushrooms in the world. At least 10 species live in the Bay Area.