Mushrooms aren’t all created equal when it comes to using them in the kitchen, especially the yellow mushroom.
Some are edible, safe to eat and delicious. Others should not be eaten, but still play a role in our ecosystems.
And some just pop up one day in your houseplants, like the little yellow mushroom that is often found in greenhouses and potted plants.
Yellow Mushrooms – “Leucocoprinus birnbaumii”
The yellow mushroom, whose scientific name is Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, is a species of gilled mushroom in the family Agaricaceae.
Commonly found in the tropics and subtropics, we find it in temperate regions growing in the pots of our houseplants or in our greenhouses. That’s given rise to some of its other names: flowerpot parasol; yellow parasol; flowerpot parasol; plant pot dapperling; yellow houseplant mushroom; lemon-yellow lepiota; and yellow pleated parasol.
Yellow mushrooms thrive in warm, moist conditions, which is why we find them in greenhouses, plant pots, and even in compost piles. They don’t harm living plants, and in fact they work to break down organic matter found in soils.
Is Yellow mushroom poisonous? The National Institutes of Health considers the yellow mushroom to be toxic.
The fruiting bodies of Leucocoprinus birnbaumii are mushroom-shaped and are typically single mushrooms, occasionally occurring in small clumps. All parts of the mushroom are a bright sulfur yellow that fades with age.
When the yellow mushroom is young, the cap is usually taller than it is wide. It later becomes more convex in shape. The surface of the cap is smooth but dotted with fine, easily detached scales. The gills are not attached to the stem.
Where The Yellow Mushroom Is Found
Yellow mushrooms are found in tropics and subtropics, but in more temperate climates, they like moisture and heat. That means they will pop up in your greenhouse plants, or the pots of your houseplants.
Where do they come from? Their appearance often means the soil you’ve used for your houseplants is contaminated. They could be introduced in other ways, like the spores being brushed off into the plant, but their appearance is generally due to a potting mix that already contains the spores.
They will start as small, bright yellow balls in the soil. As the cap expands to release the white spores, the mushrooms will become a paler color. The cap will grow to an oval shape and be about 1-2 inches tall. The yellow mushrooms become more bell-shaped as they get older.
What Does The Yellow Mushroom Cause And What Do They Mean For The Household
The biggest issue with having yellow mushrooms in your house plants is the danger to children and pets. That’s because they can be toxic to highly toxic, and some sources warn that they may be fatal if eaten.
The species is related to other species that are known to be toxic. Symptoms may include a variety of gastrointestinal upset, including mild to severe diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
That means it’s important to remove them if you have small children or pets who like to root around in your plants. Warn children who are old enough that the little mushrooms should not be touched. If you remove the mushrooms and they continue to appear, place the plant out of reach of small children.
In the yard, keep pets away from compost heaps where mushrooms often fruit.
How To Remove Them Yellow Mushrooms And Prevent Them From Growing
It isn’t easy to remove the mushrooms once the soil becomes contaminated. That’s because the mycelium and the spores are likely settled deep within your plant’s roots and soil.
The website Gardening Know How provides the following tips to attempt to remove them:
- Remove the caps as soon as possible, which removes the source of the spores and helps keep the mushrooms from spreading to other plants.
- Scrape the top 2 inches of soil and replace it with new soil, although the fungus may still grow.
- Change the soil, although it’s not a good idea to remove all of the soil from a plant’s roots, such as by washing the roots. As a result, the fungus may still be present and regrow.
- Drench the soil with fungicide, although it may also leave some of the fungus in the soil.
- Change the conditions, removing humidity or lowering the temperature. But this may also be detrimental to the plant.
It isn’t easy to rid the soil of mushrooms, but remember that the yellow mushroom won’t harm your plant. The danger is in a child or pet eating the yellow mushroom.
If you want, you can leave them in your plants. They may help the soil by feeding on dead roots and other decaying material, and release it back into the soil where it can be used by the plant. If you do attempt to pick them, move the pot away from other plants before doing so, to prevent spores from landing and growing in the soil of another house plant.
Several Interesting Facts About Yellow Mushrooms
1. The yellow mushroom is a saprotrophic fungus, meaning it is able to break down plant matter and convert it into nutrients. As a result, yellow mushrooms thrive on dead and decaying matter, and may actually help your common houseplant by breaking down organic matter found in the soil.
Despite the fact the saprotrophic mushroom category includes many common edible mushrooms, like morels, cremini, white button and portabella, the yellow mushroom should not be eaten.
2. If you’re wondering: What happens if I touch Yellow mushrooms? The answer is likely nothing. Even without gloves, touching a poisonous mushroom is not a hazard. To be safe, don’t touch your nose or mouth after touching Yellow Mushrooms, and wash your hands as soon as possible.
3. The yellow mushroom is part of the Agaricaceae family, a large species of fungi that includes species with diverse morphological characteristics. The spore color of this family can vary, including white, green, dark brown, black, blue, pale-pink and pale-yellow, and other characteristics vary.
In fact, in 2021, scientists identified a new genus and species of Agaricaceae in a Florida nursery production, calling it the Asperosporus subterraneus.
4. There are similar species to the yellow mushroom.
The Leucocoprinus straminellus: This similar but slightly paler species – which is sometimes completely white – may also appear in house plants and greenhouses in temperate regions. The two are distinct when seen under a microscope, as the straminellus has smaller spores.
The Leucocoprinus flavescens: This is found in North America, also has small spores, and has a yellowish cap with a brownish center.
The Leucocoprinus sulphurellus: This is a yellow species that occurs in the Caribbean area. It’s unique in that its gills bruise bright blue-green.
5. Is Yellow Mushroom edible? As mentioned, the National Institutes of Health considers the yellow mushroom to be toxic. The yellow color is caused by alkaloids known as birnbaumins. These alkaloids have been known to cause gastric ulcers when consumed.
Studies have concluded that it is toxic, and its source of toxicity is a gastrointestinal irritant. Centers like North Carolina State University have described the yellow mushroom as having “high severity poison characteristics.”
The yellow mushroom is a good reminder to those who forage for mushrooms that it’s important to know your species before consuming a wild mushroom. While many mushrooms are edible and even medicinal, there are many mushrooms that are poisonous. Some poisonous fungi even mimic the appearance of their edible cousins.
So when you ask: What to do to identify poisonous mushrooms? It’s best to have a local field guide, or an expert you can ask.
Final Thoughts
The little yellow mushrooms that pop up in your greenhouse plants or your houseplants should not be a cause for alarm. You can try to remove them, but it may be difficult to completely rid the plant’s soil of the mushroom’s spores.
In fact, if you aren’t worried about children or pets ingesting them, you can leave them in the soil of your plants. Add a few fairy garden decorations and you’ll have a conversation piece in your living room.
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