A trendy species of mushroom could be a new threat to Michigan’s forests.
The golden oyster mushroom is native to Asia. But people here have been growing them for some time as they’ve become increasingly popular in recipes.
New research involving the US Forest Service, however, shows the golden oyster mushrooms could threaten biodiversity as they spread.
Joanne Foreman is with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“We need to learn that these species also, just like animals and plants can get loose into the environment and we don’t know if they’re going to cause a problem. So, if that’s something that you’re interested in cultivating, take every precaution that you can.”
The DNR is encouraging people to log where they spot golden oyster mushrooms in the wild on the online platform iNaturalist.
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