Northland Nature: Rain causes ‘shroom boom’

Late September is a wonderful time to see the colorful leaves in the Northland forests. As I walk on the road, passing the woods, I see plenty, even with the dryness this year. Reds are more common in sunny sites (apparently, the red pigment of anthocyanin acts as a “sunscreen” within the leaves). I see bright ones on red maples, sumacs, dogwoods, pin cherries, American hazels and young red oaks.

Yellows outnumber the reds and they shine on birches, aspens, basswoods, sugar maples, beaked hazels and ashes. These black ashes of the swamps are not usually credited for colors of fall, but today their glow abounds.

As I step away from the road and walk on the trails of the woods, I’m treated to another delight of September: the variety and abundance of mushrooms and other fungi. Until recently, September has been dry, but responding to precipitation has caused a bit of a “‘shroom boom.” The many mushrooms here are of two types.

Most mushrooms stand up from the substrate (ground or logs) with a stem that holds a cap on top. Under the cap are many lined structures called gills. This is where the spores are found.

Other mushrooms, also common at this time, are with a stem (stalk) with a cap, but instead of gills below the cap, they have numerous tiny holes called pores that hold spores. These porous mushrooms are collectively called boletes. This woods walk shows me many gilled and porous mushrooms as well as non-mushroom fungi.

MORE BY LARRY WEBER:

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  Retired teacher Larry Weber, a Barnum resident, is the author of several books, including “Butterflies of the North Woods,” “Spiders of the North Woods,” “Webwood” and “In a Patch of Goldenrods.” Contact him via Katie Rohman at krohman@duluthnews.com.
  
  
  
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  Retired teacher Larry Weber, a Barnum resident, is the author of several books, including “Butterflies of the North Woods,” “Spiders of the North Woods,” “Webwood” and “In a Patch of Goldenrods.” Contact him via Katie Rohman at krohman@duluthnews.com.
  
  
  
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  Retired teacher Larry Weber, a Barnum resident, is the author of several books, including “Butterflies of the North Woods,” “Spiders of the North Woods,” “Webwood” and “In a Patch of Goldenrods.” Contact him via Katie Rohman at krohman@duluthnews.com.
  
  
  
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  Northland Nature: Red mushrooms brighten forest floor
  
  
  Retired teacher Larry Weber, a Barnum resident, is the author of several books, including “Butterflies of the North Woods,” “Spiders of the North Woods,” “Webwood” and “In a Patch of…