TrueTreeTalk – A Blog Post List
December 6, 2024
Fire Blight: Understanding This Destructive Tree Disease
December 11, 2024
Mushroom Monday: Green Russula (Russula aeruginea)
Today’s Mushroom Monday mushroom, Green russula (Russula aeruginea), also known as green brittlegill mushrooms, can be found across North American, Europe, and Asia. Learn about them in today’s TrueTreeTalk post. If you have mushrooms in your Houston or Austin area landscape, and would like help knowing how they relate to your trees, contact us today to arrange for an arborist consultation. Our qualified arborists can help you to understand the mushrooms in your landscape and can help develop a plan for the care and maintenance of your trees.
The Cap
Green russula mushrooms have a green cap with a gray or yellow hue that ranges in size from 2 to 3.5 inches across. When they are young, their caps are convex. As they age, a depression can form in the center and the edge of the cap can darken.
The caps can be dry, but can also have a little moisture. They are smooth and can have very fine hairs at the center. The skin on the cap can peel about half the distance to the mushroom’s center from the edge.
One feature of the mushroom is that the color changes to pink when iron salts are applied. This feature can be used as part of identification as the mushroom can look similar to other mushrooms in the genus.
The Gills
The gills can be attached, but can also go down the stem slightly. They are close together, but can spread out as they get closer to the mushroom’s stem. They have a cream or slightly yellow color and can have brown spots.
The Stem
The stem of green russula mushrooms are around 1.5 to 2.3 inches tall and 0.4 to a little over three quarters of an inch thick. The stem is white in color, smooth, and dry. They can also be brown in spots, particularly toward the mushroom’s base. There isn’t a ring present on the stem.
Their Association with Trees
Green russula mushrooms are mycorrhizal and are associated with a variety of trees, including hardwoods and conifers. They can be particularly associated with birch trees in some areas. They can be seen in the summer as well as in autumn, and can be found growing by themselves, with a few others, or in groups.
If you liked learning about Green russula (Russula aeruginea) mushrooms, check out our other Mushroom Monday posts on our TrueTreeTalk blog. Follow us on Facebook to keep up with these and other posts. Check out our blog post list for a convenient list of our blog posts grouped by topic.
* * *
ArborTrue is a science-based tree-service company in the greater Houston area. We also serve Austin and other parts of Central Texas. We provide a range of services including tree trimming, tree pruning, tree removal, tree planting, arborist consultations, and more. Call us today at 832-980-8733 (Houston) or at 512-546-3833 (Austin) or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment.
