A Riverbank of Discoveries
When I recently moved to Philadelphia, one of the things I worried I might be leaving behind was easy access to the woods and, with it, the chance to go looking for mushrooms. Living in such a big city, I wasn’t sure how much fungal diversity I would be able to find nearby.
My first visit to Wissahickon Valley Park quickly put those worries to rest.
Just north of the heart of Philadelphia, Wissahickon felt like a welcome reprieve from the noise and chaos of the city. After about a week of muggy weather and frequent rain, conditions seemed nearly perfect for fungi along the park's riverbank, and once I started looking, mushrooms appeared everywhere.
I came across an impressive variety of species, some that were familiar from previous walks, and others that were completely new to me. Among the highlights were eastern black trumpets as well as three different kinds of chanterelle, a reminder of just how much diversity can be packed into a relatively small stretch of forest.
That being said, one of my favorite finds of the day remains a mystery. Growing from an old decaying log was an unusual shelf fungus with remarkably thick, widely spaced gills on the undersides of its caps. I haven’t been able to confidently identify it yet, so I’m hoping someone reading this might recognize it. If you have an idea of what species, or even genus, it might be, please let me know!
There is something especially satisfying about discovering an unfamiliar landscape through its fungi. What began as a walk through a park I had never visited became an introduction to a surprisingly wild corner of my new home. If this first trip was any indication, I have a feeling I’ll be spending plenty more rainy days wandering the Wissahickon with my eyes on the forest floor.
Ochre Jelly Club (Leotia lubrica):
Golden Gilled Bolete (Phylloporus rhodoxanthus):
Ebony Cup (Pseudoplectania nigrella):
Golden-gilled Gerronema (Gerronema strombodes):
Old-Man-of-the-Woods (Strobilomyces strobilaceus):
Eastern Black Trumpet (Craterellus fallax):
Yellow Patches(Amanita flavoconia):
Red Chanterelle (Cantharellus cinnabarinus):
Luxury Caps (Collybiopsis luxurians):
Small Chanterelle (Cantharellus minor):
Orange Jelly Spot (Dacrymyces chrysospermus):
Violet Gray Bolete (Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus):
Leccinellum albellum:
Orange Pinwheel (Marasmius siccus):
Smooth Chanterelle (Cantharellus lateritius):
Burnt-orange Bolete (Tylopilus balloui):
Gyroporus borealis:
Unknown:
