What better way to celebrate the spooky season than with a bleeding mushroom?! Also known as Bleeding Mycena or Burgundydrop Bonnet, this mushroom gets its name from the red liquid that exudes from the caps when cut. But don't worry, this isn't actually blood, it's a coloured liquid latex, and won't harm you if it gets on your fingers.
My husband was so excited to show me this mushroom, and reveal to me how it got it's name. I never knew a fungi like this existed! The cluster looked so beautiful - a bunch of perfect little fairy helmets. Then came the bleeding... which can be shocking to the unsuspecting eye, but fits in so well with the Halloween season! The next week I took our kids to the same spot and whipped out my knife to show them the blood. They were fascinated, and had lots of fun (carefully) having a go too.
If you want to hunt some down for yourself, have a look on trunks and stumps of fallen broadleaf trees, particularly oak, in Autumn. They like damp and shady areas. We found ours on a wooden bridge! So keep your eyes peeled. Commonly found in September and October, what better fungi to showcase the spooky season?!
Want to see the bleeding in action? Watch our video here: Bleeding Fairy Helmet