honey mushroom

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honey mushroom

fungus

Also known as: Armillaria mellea

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June 29, 2026

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honey mushroom — honey mushroom Honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea)

The honey mushroom, also known as Armillaria mellea, is an edible fungus commonly found associated with tree roots. It belongs to the genus Armillaria, which comprises about 35 species of parasitic fungi found in North America and Europe, primarily in forests.12

These fungi can live for hundreds of years and are among the largest and oldest living organisms. Armillaria species produce mushrooms with notched gills and a ring near the base of the cap, ranging in color from white to golden. They spread through threadlike filaments called rhizomorphs, which can form extensive underground networks to find nutrients from decaying wood or living tree roots. Some Armillaria specimens, like A. ostoyae, can cover vast areas, making them exceptionally large organisms.2

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Agaricales
Other families and genera
The edible honey mushroom (A. mellea) causes root rot in trees and can be a destructive forest pathogen. Its yellowish clusters are often found at the bases of trees and stumps, and black shoestringlike fungal filaments can be found in the decaying wood.
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The edible honey mushroom (A. mellea) causes root rot in trees and can be a destructive forest pathogen. Its yellowish clusters are often found at the bases of trees and stumps, and black shoestringlike fungal filaments can be found in the decaying wood.
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Armillaria
Life cycle
…but a few, including the honey mushroom (A. mellea), will grow directly on wood.
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…but a few, including the honey mushroom (A. mellea), will grow directly on wood.
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mushroom
Form and major groups
…of an agaric is the honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea). Mushroom mycelia may live hundreds of years or die in a few months, depending on the available food supply. As long as nourishment is available and temperature and moisture are suitable, a mycelium will produce a new crop of sporophores each…
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…of an agaric is the honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea). Mushroom mycelia may live hundreds of years or die in a few months, depending on the available food supply. As long as nourishment is available and temperature and moisture are suitable, a mycelium will produce a new crop of sporophores each…
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fungus
Structure of the thallus
Those of the honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea), which are black and resemble shoestrings, are intricately constructed and are differentiated to conduct water and food materials from one part of the thallus to another.
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Those of the honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea), which are black and resemble shoestrings, are intricately constructed and are differentiated to conduct water and food materials from one part of the thallus to another.
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