Growing in mulch

Question

This interesting thing is growing in my mulch. I had it last year also. A few come up and then seem to disappear.

I assume its some kind of fungus. Can you help?

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Answer 1

Yes it's a mushroom, the fruiting body (spore producing organ) of a fungus. Probably growing on the decomposing mulch. It's probably harmless but am unable to identify the type, so don't eat it unless you get a positive ID, some mushrooms are deadly poisonous. You can lift it out with a trowel or a plastic bag over your hand like dog walkers pick up poop, and throw it in the garbage. Or let it be and as you have observed in the past, they dry up and go back into the mulch and soil.