What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

Perspiring Mushrooms?

We found this fungus, covered in droplets, on a tree. What’s happening here?

Answer

The mushroom (likely the young fruiting body of the red belted polypore, Fomitopsis mounceae, a perennial species of conk which can be found on conifer trees) is going through guttation. As explained by mycology educator Meg Madden, “The actively growing portions of the mushroom often ‘sweat’ like this, a process called guttation. When temperature and humidity are favorable, the rapidly growing mushroom exudes droplets of excess moisture.”