Mansfield fungi and flora

04/10/2026

22/09/2026

Spa ponds, Forest town

21/09/2026

Upper Langwith to Scarcliffe

I found these beauties on a recent walk between Upper Langwith and Scarcliffe.

15/09/2026

Pleasley Vale and Mills

13/09/2026

🍄 WANT TO FIND MORE FUNGI? START BY LOOKING AT THE TREES! 🌳

When we go looking for mushrooms and fungi, it’s natural to spend most of our time staring at the woodland floor.

But try looking up first.

One of the best ways to improve your chances of finding fungi is to learn which trees are growing around you. Many woodland fungi form close underground partnerships with living trees, connecting with their roots through mycorrhizal relationships.

So before searching for mushrooms, ask yourself:

🌳 What trees can I see?
💧 Where is the ground damp?
🍂 Where does the habitat change?

Then slow down and start looking.

The two field-guide pages below give you my 10 top tips for finding fungi, together with a guide to some of the most useful trees to recognise when you’re out exploring.

Pay particular attention to trees such as oak, beech, birch, hazel, alder, willow and Scots pine. Look beyond the trunk too—the fungi associated with a tree can appear some distance away amongst its roots.

And don’t overlook dead wood. Fallen branches, old stumps and standing deadwood support a completely different community of fungi.

🍄 THE BIG TIP: FIND THE TREE FIRST

Next time you’re walking through woodland, try identifying the trees before you start looking for fungi. After a while you’ll begin to recognise combinations of tree + habitat + moisture + fungi, and the woodland starts to make much more sense.

📍 Photograph your finds.
📝 Record the tree growing nearby.
🌳 Revisit productive locations.
👀 Look closely and leave the habitat as you found it.

Learn the trees → understand the habitat → find more fungi.

Save the two guides to take with you on your next woodland walk. 🍄🌳

09/09/2026

09/09/2026

Two examples of the fruiting bodies of slime mold. Found during a walk through deciduous woodland in Mansfield Woodhouse today, just metres apart.

Dog vomit slime mould (Fuligo septica)
Orange slime mould (Tubifera ferruginosa)

Did you know?
“Slime molds are not true fungi, but rather amoeba-like organisms (myxomycetes) that live part of their life cycle as single-celled organisms and can **aggregate.” -- [Facebook].
“They feed on microorganisms in decaying plant material. Slime molds are harmless to humans, animals, and plants.” --
[Facebook].

** Aggregate - An aggregate is a whole amount, total, or collection formed by combining separate smaller parts, units, or items.

If you look closely you can see the individual cells.

Appearance Variations

The Feeding Stage:
Many common plasmodial slime moulds look like large, wet, moving blobs or vein-like networks creeping over rotting wood, mulch, or lawn grass.
[1] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?)

Fruiting Bodies:
When reproducing, they transform into completely different shapes resembling tiny mushrooms, honeycomb lattices, crusts, or clusters of tiny bead-like stalks.

Colour Range: They appear in nearly every colour of the rainbow—including bright yellows, pinks, purples, and deep browns—though they are never true green because they lack chlorophyll. [1] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmoZcz89KYk&t=1)

Scale: Some types remain microscopic, while others grow into large colonies spanning several feet. [1] (https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/outreach/slimemold/typesofslime/)

06/09/2026

It’s September and the weather is changing.
Here’s a guide to a small number of mushrooms that you can find on your walks.

Don’t forget to capture images of your finds.

If you do find a rare mushroom, please take a moment to record it. There’s further information of where to record on the guide.

05/09/2026

- September

National Mushroom Month transitioned from September to June starting in 2026 to align with peak grilling and outdoor dining season. Officially moved to June (having previously been observed in September). Avoids crowded back-to-school promotions and better matches summer entertaining, grilling, and fresh meal habits. (Will know for next year)