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Not sure if this should go into garden or nature, its not really a garden issue so I am putting it here. If a mod feels my question would be better answered in garden please feel free to move.
I came back from the store today to a rather large surprise growing in the backyard. I'm curious if anyone else has seen anything like it. This mushroom was white and round, and downright huge. When I picked it up it took up an entire regular plastic shopping bag, there is still holes near the handles from after me tying the bag shut. And before anyone asks, yes, I did use the bag itself to pick the mushroom up, I had 0 direct contact with the mushroom. I was not taking a chance that it was poisonous or something and ending up in the hospital.
I am just downright amazed at the pure size of this thing, I was tempted to weigh it, but didn't really want it in the house. If I was a betting man, I would have to say my guess is it weighed a good 6 or 7 pounds. It is larger than a normal soccer ball, and like I said, was almost too big for even the shopping bag. Anyone ever see a mushroom this big before?
That sounds like a giant puffball. I have a friend who has these pop up all over his yard in November. Another friend took one home and cooked it instead of turkey for Thanksgiving.
But, without a good picture, I can't say for sure if that is what it is. Most puffballs are edible, but there are a few that look similar that are toxic.
Touching it won't harm you in any way.
Some of the Boletes in my area get just as big around as a puffball. It's hard to imagine that something so fleshy like that can hold up its own weight. Those things are very top heavy.
Hot damn, I think that might be what it is. I will try and get some pictures of it tomorrow to post on here. Not that I am going to try and eat it, I would want someone to actually show up here who knows what they are doing for that sort of thing.
It's a shame that you picked it, but now you know how cool they are just let any in the future live. Giant puffballs. They're completely harmless and amazing. Had you let it live it would proceed to fill with spores to reproduce.
I've found them in the Catskill mountains in upper New York.
I hope you post a picture!
Last edited by rainroosty; 08-26-2013 at 04:04 AM..
Yes, it does sound like a giant puffball. We have them in our area. I was at someone's house once and they had one and cut it up into small chunks and make a giant pan of scrambled eggs with puffball, it was good.
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