Mushroom researchers in the UK have cause for celebration right now. As reported by the Royal Horticultural Society and Kew Gardens, the mycology experts are inundated with samples of miraculous mushrooms that gardeners and mushroom pickers send them: shaggy crested inks, bright red toadstools, a group of spectacular spotted-leaved flames . As the samples showed, among other things, the green-leaved sulfur head apparently no longer only thrives in autumn, but as early as spring. The researchers received a particularly impressive sample from a lady in her orchard: a crusty goatee that grew on an old apple tree – which is quite rare nowadays because there are only a few old orchards left.
According to the scientists, the British can look forward to even more mushrooms: Climate change is causing the UK to become warmer and wetter. Many more weird and wonderful fungi would thrive in the gardens in the years to come, enthuses Lee Davies, curator of the Kew Gardens Fungarium.
Next, the researchers want to sequence the DNA of the fungi in order to gain new knowledge. “We could use it to make new and novel drugs,” says Davies. Hopefully you will think of the opportunity to test the mushrooms for their edibility. If this continues, Yorkshire pudding with mushrooms could become the next big food trend.
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