People usually consider Mushrooms ugly, judging the way they grow, but have you seen a Mushroom that looks like a flower?
Well, yes, they really do exist. Some might not be as beautiful as the angiosperm flowers, but some top even the floral wonders in the scale of beauty.
I know you might be fascinated by the notion. Let us dive deep and find out more.
Table of Contents Show
15 Mushroom that Looks like a Flower
Before we jump into the topic, remember that there are all types of Mushrooms, edible and non-edible.
DISCLAIMER: Be sure to check the type of Mushroom before touching it, or you might poison yourself.
Now let’s jump directly into the topic.
Pink Oyster
Consumability: Edible
Pleurotus djamor, commonly known as Pink Oyster, is the first flower on the list.
While keeping its namesake, this Mushroom resembles an Oyster, a bivalve mollusk that lives in salt water.
The pink petal-like structure of this Mushroom also shares a resemblance with flowers.
People harvest Pink Oyster from spring to fall, and it has a shelf life of about a day.
Chicken of the Woods
Consumability: Edible after cooking
Laetiporus sulphureus, commonly known as Chicken of the Woods, Sulphur Shelf, is a Mushroom with a shelf-like growth.
People probably gave it that name because it shares a similar texture, and when cooked, it tastes like chicken meat.
Their body is orange to yellow, and they can weigh as much as 100 lbs when mature. Also, they are quite invasive in nature.
Furthermore, the Chicken of the Woods cluster, which grows in brackets, resembles beautiful flowers growing in trees.
Orange Peel Fungus
Consumability: Edible
Aleuria aurantia goes by the common name Orange Peel Fungus.
Like its name, it resembles an Orange peel spread on the ground. But the mimicry does not end there; some people also see flowers when they stare long enough.
If you want to collect it and eat it in your next meal, you must be extra careful, as their body is fragile.
WARNING! They share a resemblance with the species of Caloscypha, which is poisonous.
Also, it inhibits bright orange color and has different ‘petals’ arranged side by side.
Rosy Bonnet Mushrooms
Consumability: Inedible [Poisonous]
Laced with the harmful toxin muscarine, Rosy Bonnet Mushrooms [Mycena rosea] is a bioluminescent mushroom.
Moreover, the plant has two red alkaloid pigments, and its cap goes from white to deep pink as they mature.
They normally grow near a group of deciduous trees deep in the forest.
Geastrum
Consumability: Inedible [Bad Taste]
Geastrum are commonly known as Earthstars, thanks to their star-shaped structure.
You can commonly find this fungus on rotting trees worldwide. Even if you find it, I advise you not to eat it as its taste will wretch your soul.
Its structure is simple; it contains a rounded spore case that resides on top of a star-shaped structure.
The interesting structure and the grayish-white color give it a resemblance to a flower.
Chorioactis
Consumability: Inedible although non-toxic
Chorioactis is also commonly known as Devil’s cigar, but if I could name it, I would name it Starfish Mushroom.
It has a structure similar to starfish, boasting a bright orange color.
The Mushroom body usually grows on dead roots or stumps of Cedar or Oak trees.
Given its uniquely strange structure, people often confuse it with flowers.
Other Mushroom that Looks like a Flower
Let us look at other Mushroom that looks like a flower.
- Oysterling Mushroom
- Common Bonnet
- Inkcaps
- Green Elf Cup
- Candlestick Fungus
- Myriostoma
- Fragile Dapperling
- Marasmius
- Amethyst Deceiver
Editor’s Note
Although there are various Mushroom that look like a flower, they are quite impossible to grow indoors.
As a gardener, I can confirm that you want to get one or two of them indoors, but that will be a story for another day.
I hope this was helpful. Good luck!
