I found this beauty on our walk the other day.

My boys love this tree. It is an evergreen oak or Hollyoak. It produces acorns just like its deciduous counterpart. There are a few of them in this park, which brighten it up in the winter and early spring, when all the other trees are standing bare.

My boys love to play in this tree as there is a hollow platform in the center where they can sit and play forts, or watch squirrels. As I walked around the tree to take a photo of the little dudes, I noticed this pretty impressive fungus just hanging out on the tree.

I like foraging, although I'm not that adventurous. I tend to stick with the things I already know or that I can confidently identify with the help of my plant I.D app on my phone. I use plant.net, it's really useful and is accurate most of the time. However, it doesn't help with fungi identification.

I've always wanted to confidently identify a mushroom, but I have often been too afraid to try in case I get it wrong. It's probably a very justified fear and one I should take care to listen to.

I'd love to increase my chances of being able to eat a field mushroom straight from the erm.. field. Did you know that edible mushrooms found in the wild are extremely high in vitamin D? This is due to their ability to absorb sunshine, unlike their supermarket counterparts which are cultivated in the dark.

However, in this instance, I don't think I would be in a hurry to try and eat the ones pictured. I'm just kinda throwing this out there in the hope that someone may know what it is and if it has any particular use, other than to the tree. It doesn't look like it is killing the tree, which makes me think that perhaps it is supporting it.

By all means, correct me if I am wrong. I want to learn and the best way to do so is by making mistakes.

🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄
I am fascinated with the work of Paul Stamets and the connection of the mycelium network. I recently read that it is this network, under our feet that is thought to be the 'internet' for trees and plants, a way that they communicate. This network underground helps decide what plants grow where and shapes the natural environment above it.

Studies have shown that introducing mycorrhizal fungi supplement in the soil can help promote healthy plant growth. As well as improving the plant's ability to absorbs nutrients from the soil, it can also benefit them by providing pest control, resistance to disease particularly with fungal diseases with the soil. It is becoming increasingly popular with gardeners especially in promoting healthy vegetable crops.
🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄
I like how this perpetuates the theory of 'As Above So Below', the balance in nature showing us that all does not have to be seen to play a vital role.
It acknowledges that, as with the greater universe around us, everything inside us and below us is interconnected. Something that we humans need to relearn. When we can understand this intrinsic pattern of all life then we can use this understanding to feel more balanced.

I'm veering off on a slight philosophical tangent here, but this is the beauty of nature. It's one thing to sit next to it, but to fully immerse yourself in it as a whole is something far beyond our brain comprehension. It is a feeling, a knowing a mutual understanding between nature and you.

Here is some further description and some more pictures...

It's about the size of a basketball, the texture is smooth and slightly silky, it is rather hard compared to other fungi I have seen growing on trees or dead wood.

It is creamy white underneath and the top part seems to be blending into the tree bark, almost as if it mimicking it.

I went back to the tree yesterday to take some better photos of it and found that there are more of them.

This is inside the hollow platform, look at all the humus building up in there!

I love the way it blends itself into the tree. Becoming one with it, but still holding its own identity.

This was another one I found on the other side of the tree, near the ground.

It even finds crevices in the tree to nestle into.

The tree looks like it was struggling from wind damage as there has been some pretty heavy top pruning.

I managed to identify the purple part. It is the lesser known 'childus activus' aka my 8 year old son...

If you can identify it from these photos, I would be extremely grateful. Let me know in the comments the name and any info you have about it.

Do you use mycorrhizal fungi in your garden? Have you noticed a difference in the health of your plants or vegetables? I'd love to hear about it in the comments too.

Images taken using my Samsung Galaxy s6, don't judge me, I've had it a long time.😂