As the farm is situated on the coast side of the Santa Cruz Mountain range, some winters we can be inundated with rainfall. Wet weather, coupled with abundant substrate in our woodland areas on the property, can result in a dizzying array of fungi popping up around the farm in late winter and early spring.
We reside in the middle of a mixed evergreen forest, composed of a variety of native California tree species, including Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica), Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and various species of oak (Quercus sp.). Over the years we’ve learned where on the property to look for particular species of fungi, as many fungi are associated with specific species of decaying wood, and forest debris.
Most fungi have very short fruiting periods. During the rainy season we can observe completely different species fruiting from one week to the next. As we find new species here on the farm we’re striving to photograph, and document them. To learn more about a particular species of fungi, click on any of the images below.
