Mushrooms after Rain

Instead of a plant this week, we’re highlighting a fungus: the mushrooms that often pop up in landscapes after a rainstorm. Andrew Wade’s parents in The Woodlands recently had a bumper crop!

Feeding on decaying organic matter, mushrooms are actually a sign of healthy soil. But Andrew wanted to know if they’re harmful to the family dogs.

On a past CTG, we consulted Dr. T.J. Palvino at Austin Vet Hospital who said that many are poisonous to dogs, as they are for us. Since most of us are not experts, he recommends removing them if your dog is inclined to eat them.

The good news from AgriLife plant pathologist Dr. Kevin Ong is that pulling up the mushrooms won’t destroy the soil’s network of beneficial microbes.