White Mushrooms in Your Yard? When to Worry—and When to Leave Them Alone

Believe it or not, white mushrooms in your yard are often a good thing. They signal that your soil is healthy and full of organic, nutrient-rich matter.

However, some varieties are poisonous and aren’t compatible with adventurous pets and children. In that scenario, it may be best to remove mushrooms just to be safe. Ahead, we share advice from gardening experts about how to properly handle white mushrooms—from the benefits to the potential drawbacks.

Why Mushrooms Appear

The presence of mushrooms isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “It's often a sign that your lawn is healthy, getting plenty of water, and contains beneficial organic matter,” says Roger May, horticulture expert and director of technical operations at TruGreen.

Fungi are decomposers. They consume and recycle dead leaves, roots, and wood, so they're especially common in autumn. “During the fall, dead plant matter is more abundant, and moisture from rain helps speed the decay process,” says Steven Allison, ecologist at the University of California, Irvine.

Occasionally, however, mushrooms could indicate that your lawn is overwatered or draining poorly. "Mushrooms could also be a sign of lawn disease, such as fairy ring,” he notes. Fairy rings, for example, create a thick fungal mat that prevents water from reaching grass roots, resulting in dry soil and yellowing grass.

Potential Benefits

“Many lawn fungi are saprotrophic, meaning they feed on dead organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the soil," says April Thompson, vice president of the Mycological Association of Washington, DC.

Others, known as mycorrhizal fungi, form symbiotic partnerships with trees, extending their root systems and enhancing resilience against drought, pests, and disease. Mushrooms also provide food and shelter for snails, insects, and other small creatures.

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Should You Get Rid of Them?

Not all white mushrooms are safe to consume, so those with curious pets and kids should beware. “There are countless species that can appear pale,” says Thompson. However, not all of them are safe to eat, and telling them apart requires expert eyes. “Every year, people get sick from mistaking one mushroom for another,” she warns.

While some of the more common varieties that pop up in yards include species like the benign meadow mushrooms, there's also the false parasol. “That one poisons more Americans annually than any other mushroom," she says. It’s toxic but not deadly.

Removing Mushrooms

The good news is that no mushrooms are dangerous to handle, even if they're not safe to eat. If you do decide to remove mushrooms from your yard, here are the steps that experts say you should follow:

• Remove mushrooms from the patches of grass along sidewalks and walkways near your yard. Remember, the mushroom is only the fungus’s fruiting body, says May. “It’s what spreads the mushroom’s spores to other areas, usually with the help of the wind.” So, making sure that mushrooms aren’t adjacent to your yard can stop them from spreading spores.
• Make sure your yard soil is draining. This will prevent water buildup and minimize fungal growth in your lawn and garden. “A yearly core aeration will reduce soil compaction and improve drainage,” May says.