Have you ever spotted a tiny yellow mushroom popping up in the pot of your favorite houseplant? You might wonder, ‘What is this yellow mushroom do I need to remove it?’
Read on to learn everything you need to know about these little fungi growing in your houseplants!
What is This Yellow Houseplant Mushroom?
Have you spotted a small, sun-colored mushroom popping up in your potted plants? That’s likely Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, a common indoor mushroom.
This mushroom is often referred to by different names. Common names include:
- Yellow Houseplant mushroom
- Yellow Parasol
- Yellow Pleated Parasol
- Flower Pot Parasol
Plantpot Dapperling
These fungi are quite petite. They usually stand just between 2 to 3 inches tall, and feature 1 to 2 inch oval or bell-shaped caps. It’s not unusual to find them sprouting solo or in a small clusters.
These mushrooms have a bright yellow color, which is hard to miss. The cap starts off as a lemony-yellow ball and opens into a parasol shape. As the mushroom ages, the color may fade to a paler yellow.
The thin stem supports the cap and also shares its yellow hue. If you peek underneath, you’ll see gills where the mushroom releases its spores, which are the tiny seeds that help it multiply.
Why Do Yellow Mushrooms Appear in Potted Plants?
It is pretty common to see these little yellow mushrooms growing in potted plants. These fungi thrive in environments that are both warm and moist. They can show up in your houseplants or in greenhouses during any season. In the wild they grow mostly during the summer season.
Giving your plants excess water can inadvertently give these mushrooms a perfect environment to thrive in. They absorb the water in the soil and break down organic matter.
Overwatering isn’t the sole reason for these mushrooms’ appearance. The real culprits are microscopic spores, which are like seeds for mushrooms. These spores can already be in the potting mix when you buy it, or they might hitch a ride into your home. The wind can blow them in, pets can carry them on their fur, or they might cling to your clothing after a walk in the park.
Once these spores find a spot in the damp potting soil of a houseplant, they start to grow. It’s their perfect home: there’s moisture, warmth from your house, and plenty of plant material to feed on. Before you know it, a small yellow cap pops up above the soil, announcing the arrival of a mushroom.
Consistently damp soil can lead to other issues for your plants, like root rot. So, if you see these mushrooms, it might be time to check on your watering habits and make sure your plants aren’t sitting in soggy soil.
Are Yellow Mushrooms Dangerous?
Sometimes it may be necessary to remove mushrooms from your yard or lawn, but these little yellow mushrooms do not harm plants. In fact, they’re kind of like nature’s cleanup crew.
The yellow parasol is a saprotrophic mushroom. This means they feed on dead organic matter in the potting soil. This might be old leaves, bits of wood, or even leftover roots. By doing this, they’re turning stuff that’s not needed anymore into nourishing food for your plants. It’s like they’re creating a natural fertilizer right there in your garden’s soil.
These mushrooms are also part of something super cool called a mycorrhizal network. Through this network, plants can send signals to each other about dangers like insects that might want to munch on them.
However, there’s a downside. While they won’t hurt your plants, these mushrooms are not so great for animals. While not poisonous, these yellow fungi can cause stomach problems if eaten. The exact level of toxicity is unknown.
They can also cause allergies in people. This can manifest as skin irritation or respiratory problems. That’s why it’s important to keep them out of the reach of pets and small children residing in the home.
How to Say Goodbye to Yellow Mushrooms
These mushrooms are not harmful to plants, but you might still worry about the health of kids and pets in the household. If you decide those yellow mushrooms have got to go, here’s what you can do:
- Pick Them Out: Gently remove the mushrooms from the plant. Pluck them out before they can make more spores. Quickly remove any new mushrooms as soon as they appear. Wear gloves during the process.
- Clean and Switch the Soil: Remove the first couple of layers of the soil and add an appropriate amount of new soil. This can help remove the spores. If you can, take your plant out of the pot, give the roots a little shake, and put it in some new soil. Fungicide does not really work on mushrooms, but you can still try.
- Maintain a Good Environment: The flowerpot parasol mushrooms thrive in warm and moist conditions. Making your home a little less like that can discourage them from coming back. Adjust your watering routine. Ensure proper drainage in your pots, and allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Adequate air circulation around your plants will also help keep the humidity in check.
These steps may not remove the mushroom entirely from the plant, but they can reduce the likelihood of them springing up again.
Conclusion
These yellow mushrooms can spring up in houseplants if the conditions are conducive to their growth, meaning warm and moist. They are generally not harmful to plants. Instead, they feed on decaying matter in the shared soil mix. However, they can trigger allergies in humans or animals. If eaten, they can cause digestive problems.
If it becomes necessary to remove the mushrooms, they will need to be plucked out. The soil will have to be cleaned or the plant might need to be re-potted. It will become essential to maintain a good environment to make sure the fungi doesn’t sprout again.