26 September 21

This is probably Laccaria, one of the deceivers. Tough little mushrooms, and some of the first to show up in helping ground transition from field toward woodland. Likely came in on the roots of the hazels and is now spreading through the nursery rows.

They’re ectomycorrhiza - the fruiting bodies of a fungus wrapped around tree roots, trading minerals for sugar. Hazel is a well-known partner, but these are generalists with many friends. In an open field you can’t always count on them being there. In some studies the fungus thins out past 10-15 meters from established trees.

So we plant a path they can follow. Seeing them above means (we hope) something below is working.