DG Site Updates: Fungi & Lichens, 1 by DarwinESF

DarwinESF wrote:
Didn't get a chance to read through all of the replies but I'm amazed at the concern over this.. I use mosses, lichens, and fungus (if I can get it to grow) in my garden and it's one of the best ways to make a woodland garden feel that much closer to natural.. As far as mosses go, I can definitely see why having a bryophyte forum would be a good idea, as so many people are being turned on to growing mosses to cover stone walls or to fill in cracks in patios. I took an 'ecology of mosses' class during my time at SUNY ESF and I can definitely attest to there being a good deal of information to be shared about mosses.. And Katymac- you're not missing anything but the desire to have an immaculate house.. and the strange convention that moss on a roof is somehow harmful. In reality a lot of green architects are looking into the insulative power and the absorptive qualities of a green roof system, and since mosses require minimal nutrients, substrate, and light they are pretty good candidates.

As far as lichens and fungus goes, lets first give a bit of respect to two important classes of organisms that must be in place for plants to prosper: without lichens we would have no soil, just rock. And without fungus the vast majority of plants on earth would not exist as we know them, since most depend on mycorrhizal fungal symbionts to survive. I also took a mycology class but I have yet to learn about wild mushrooms and how to safely harvest in my area, and I could see this forum being well used for that. I've also noticed a few fungal threads in the rest of DG.. mostly members who enjoy the organisms aesthetically or who are curious about their proper IDs.

And since no one in the herb forum has started threads on growing cannabis, nor have any of the opium poppy growers shared recipes for tea.. I don't really see the point in assuming that a forum on fungus could lead to talk about hallucinogens. So yeah, I'm an enthusiastic supporter of this would-be forum... and I really just can't see why anyone would want to block it?

Can I post a photo? This guy just appeared under a Hellebore, no clue what it is but boy was it neat. And while the mushroom is gone, the fungus is certainly still there, a part of my garden like any other growing thing.