Honey Mushroom

The basidiocarp of each has a smooth cap 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6 in) in diameter, convex at first but becoming flattened with age often with a central raised umbo, later becoming somewhat dish-shaped. The margins of the cap are often arched at maturity and the surface is sticky when wet. Though typically honey-coloured, this fungus is rather variable in appearance and sometimes has a few dark, hairy scales near the centre somewhat radially arranged. The gills are white at first, sometimes becoming pinkish-yellow or discoloured with age, broad and fairly distant, attached to the stipe at right angles or are slightly decurrent. The flesh of the cap is whitish and has a sweetish odour and flavour with a tinge of bitterness. The stipe is 5–20 cm (2–8 in) long and 0.5–3.5 cm (1⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) in diameter. It is fibrillose and of a firm spongy consistency at first but later becomes hollow. It is cylindrical and tapers to a point at its base where it is fused to the stipes of other mushrooms in the clump. It is whitish at the upper end and brownish-yellow below, often with a very dark-coloured base. There is a broad persistent skin-like ring attached to the upper part of the stipe. …

Armillaria mellea is widespread in northern temperate zones. It has been found throughout North America, and in Europe and northern Asia. It has been introduced to South Africa. It grows parasitically on a large number of broadleaf trees. It fruits in dense clusters at the base of trunks or stumps.

Armillaria mellea prefers moist soil and lower soil temperatures, as soil temperatures exceeding 79 °F (26 °C) can inhibit its growth. It can withstand extreme temperatures, such as forest fires, due to the protection of the soil. It is found in many kinds of landscapes, including gardens, parks, vineyards, tree production areas, and natural landscapes. Armillaria mellea typically is symbiotic with hardwood trees and conifers, including orchards, planted forests, vineyards, and a few herbaceous plants. It infects new hosts through rhizomorphs and basidiospores. It is rare for basidiospores to be successful in infecting new hosts and often colonize woody debris instead, but rhizomorphs, however, can grow up to ten feet long in order to find a new host. There are few signs, and they are often difficult to observe. The most prominent sign is honey-coloured mushrooms at the base of the infected plant. Additional signs include white, fan-shaped mycelia and black rhizomorphs with diameters between 1⁄32 and 1⁄8 inch (0.8 and 3.2 mm). These usually are not as noticeable because they occur beneath the bark and in the soil, respectively. Rhizomorphs and mycelial fans are more reliable indicators of Armillaria because the mushrooms can be easily mistaken for those of other species. …

Armillaria mellea is considered a good edible mushroom, but is not preferred by some, and the tough stalks are usually excluded. They are best collected when young and thoroughly cooked. Specimens such as those growing on buckeye or hemlock can cause gastrointestinal upset. The mushrooms have a taste that has been described as slightly sweet and nutty, with a texture ranging from chewy to crunchy, depending on the method of preparation. Parboiling mushrooms before consuming removes the bitter taste present in some specimens and may reduce the amount of gastrointestinal irritants. According to one guide, they must be cooked before eating. Drying the mushrooms preserves and intensifies their flavour, although reconstituted mushrooms tend to be tough to eat. The mushrooms can also be pickled and roasted. Different nutritional parameters of A. mellea, like protein, carbohydrate, fat, amino acid and crude have been studied. The fruit body contains large amounts of carbohydrates including polysaccharides such as glucans and glycogen, monosaccharides and disaccharides (such as trehalose), sugar, alcohols (such as manitol) and chitin. The mushroom is rich in protein and carbohydrate but is low amount of fat which could serve a proper diet for persons who sufferer from hypertension and atherosclerosis. …

Cultivation of A. mellea started with cultivation of its mycellia, which is used to support the cultivation of Gastrodia elata, a non-photosynthetic species of orchid used in traditional Chinese medicine. This kind of cultivation has been present since 1994 and uses pieces of wood inoculated with the fungus. In 2017, farmers from Heilongjiang succeeded in producing fruiting bodies (mushrooms) through cultivation. Two methods were possible, one using wood pieces, the other using bagged media. By 2019, the spent myceliated wood from Gastrodia cultivation is routinely used to seed new wood for mushroom production.