Armillaria mellea, commonly known as honey fungus, is an edible basidiomycete fungus in the genus Armillaria. It is a plant pathogen and part of a cryptic species complex of closely related and morphologically similar species. · What is honey fungus and what do honey mushrooms look like? The following article contains information of honey fungus identification and honey fungus treatment. · Learn about honey fungus and how to identify, prevent, and manage this plant problem effectively in your garden. · Clearly, honey fungus is not a harmless, sweet mushroom like its name suggests. Let’s delve deeper into the biology of this pathogen, how it spreads, and how to prevent it. · Honey mushrooms are recognized as one of the most widely distributed mushrooms globally. Some honey mushroom species glow in the dark. This bioluminescence is known as foxfire. There are approximately 40 species of Armillaria worldwide and around 15 occur in North America. · What is the honey fungus? The honey fungus, scientifically known as Armillaria mellea, is an edible mushroom mostly native to North America. Growing in the woods of hardwood and conifer trees, the species is widely considered to be an undesirable mushroom despite its edibility (1). This parasitic fungus can do immense damage to forests; it attacks both coniferous and broad-leaf trees. By the time the fruitbodies are in evidence, the damage internally is usually so great that the tree is doomed.
