Did You Know There is Such a Thing as a BLUE MUSHROOM?

I thought I knew all about mushrooms. I knew there are some that you can eat and some that are poisonous and some can get you high! LOL. 🍄😄 I also knew that illustrators loved to draw pretty mushrooms as houses in fairy tales. So I figured if I ever saw a blue mushroom it would have to be an imaginary one in a fairy tale, fantasy or science fiction story.

NOT! In New Zealand, there is the E. hochstetteri. It's a blue mushroom.

Of course! I would expect to find something like that in New Zealand. Wouldn't you? I never traveled to this country. I have only seen it on television and in photographs, so I know it's an amazingly beautiful place.

This mushroom is actually mentioned in the oral traditions passed down in Māori families. Fungi play a prominent part in Māori life. The mushroom's blue hues vary from blue-gray to cerulean to the color of blue raspberry candy.

Mycologists generally consider E. hochstetteri to be a distinct species.

Some researchers have tried to grow these mushrooms in a lab, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Just in case you're wondering. These mushrooms are not for trippin'. They are not psychedelic mushrooms and won't send you to Cloud 9. That note is good to know because there are some mind-bending mushrooms that turn blue after being harvested. But the E. hochstetteri grows blue and does not have psilocybin, the chemical that alters your consciousness.

These little blue mushrooms really add to the natural beauty of the already beautiful New Zealand’s forests. But nobody has quite figured out their scientific purpose.

REFERENCE:

Get to Know New Zealand's Hugely Popular, Thrillingly Blue Mushroom - Atlas Obscura

FINAL NOTE:

Scientists are uncertain about the toxicity of the native New Zealand fungi/ and it is being investigated. In other words: DON'T EAT IT!! (YET!)

In the process of researching this topic, I discovered that there are other blue mushrooms. Do not confuse the E. hochstetteri of New Zealand with the Lactarius indigo. This is a species of agaric fungus in the family Russulaceae. Some people call this mushroom indigo milk cap or the blue milk mushroom. YOU CAN EAT IT!! It is edible mushroom and they sell it in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico.

* Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactarius_indigo

If you have time, check out some of my other “Did You Know” mushroom-related posts on Noise.cash.

Thanks for reading.