It takes a long, long, long (you get the drift) long, long time to grow up to be as big as 1,665 football fields AND escape the notice of human curiosity. And while in no way inclined to stop growing, the Armillaria Ostoyae is now the undisputed largest single organism on land or sea. Sorry 200 ton Blue Whale.
Virtually undetected until 1998, the mushroom is a member of the genus Honey Mushroom for its yellow caps and sweet fruiting bodies. From a microscopic start in Canada, the Armillaria spread by rhizomorphs down to the Pacific Northwest, dining exclusively on coniferous pine forests by infecting their roots with disease and digesting the remains. Whole swaths of forest fell to the insatiable appetite and ruthless advance of the silent killer. (Well, that makes it seem more dramatic and noteworthy, doesn’t it).
And there are others. Similar but smaller mushroom monsters exist in southeastern Washington and in Colorado. A youthful 1,500 year old Armillaria Bulbosa lives in Crystal Falls, Michigan, weighing in at only 100 tons.
We think it would be interesting to list some of the more historically prominent events that occurred while our megamonster was just a spoor and as it began its slow southward eat-fest.
480 B.C.-Battle of Salamis: The Greek fleet under Themistocles defeated the Persian fleet of Xerxes 1.
399 B.C.-Socrates condemned to death by city leaders for corrupting the minds of Athen’s youth .
390 B.C.-Raiding Gauls defeated the Roman army and subsequently sacked Rome itself.
356 B.C.-Herostratus sets fire to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.
334 B.C.-Alexander the Great defeats Persian King Darius lll at the Battle of Granicus.
240 B.C.-March 30th-the first recorded perihelion passage of Haley”s Comet.
202 B.C.-Coronation of Emperor Gaozu of Han leading to a four-century dynastic rule of China.
164 B.C.-Judas Maccabaeus recaptured Jeruselem and rededicated the Second Temple, now celebrated as Hanukkah each November 21st.
44 B.C.-Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, declared her son by Julius Caesar as co-ruler Ptolemy XV Caesarian.
30 A.D.-Jesus fulfilled ancient prophecy and was put to death by crucifixion outside the gates of Jeruselem.
31 A.D. March 25th, the first Easter commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
78 A.D.- Saka Era, later India was established.
79 A.D.= August 24- Mount Vesuvius exploded, wiping out Pompeii and killing 15,000 one day after a feast to Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
185 A.D.-December 7-Chinese Emperor Lo-Yang observed Supernova MSH15-52.
Thanks for making it to the point in time when little Armillaria was still just a little bundle of joy, eating all her pine rot and needles and growing right along in the Canadian conifer forest. Pick a day or an historic moment and the little darling is there. From the launching of the Mayflower, through the Revolutionary War and the subsequent history of America, this mightly mushroom was, and is, still there for what’s up next. What a superstar!!!
Not to be outdone, Siskiyou News Network introduces you to mushroom culture Professor Blue style. Join us for pics and stories about local (but smaller) fun fungi. Click here