Tremella fuciformis/snow fungus
December has ascended on us here in the Blue Ridge mountains, and with the last weeks of the year go the last of the years mushrooms. It’s always a little bitter sweet but also a time to reflect, to travel and the hunts not over yet, winter is a great time to go looking for Chaga! Besides mushroom hunting, the cold winter months provide a chance to embrace the season by just being immersed within it. It’s a time of rest, sometimes solitude, reflection, planning forward and a time to enjoy the moment, enjoy the connection of friends or family or people your just meeting, and of coarse the connection to nature!
Markets: My regular markets have ended for the year but here’s some upcoming events I’ll be vending at.
Weaverville Holiday Markets: Wedensdays 3-6 @weaverville community center (inside) https://weavervillemarket.com/upcoming-events/ ends the 14th. Also continues through the winter.
Salvage Station Holiday Bazaar: Sunday-December 4th from 12-4 @ Salvage station 466 riverside drive. https://salvagestation.com/events/2nd-annual-holiday-bazaar/
Holiday Gift Market: December 9th-11th, 12-6 each day @ Ella 81 broadway st downtown.
Monthly Special: This months special is on Birch Polypore and Usnea tinctures. 1oz will be $15 and 2oz will be $25. One a mushroom and the other a lichen, these two are growing in the cold months. I carry them individually and also do a blend of them together. Usnea, aka old mans beard, benefits include: fights colds and flu, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, breaks up phlegm and congestion. Birch Polypore benefits include: immune system boost, soothing the gut, provides a healthy micro-biome and deterring harmful organisms.
Not everything has gone into hiding. Turkey Tail in all it’s many colors will continue to grow, Birch Polypore and Chaga can be found in high elevations on birch trees, and Usnea drips off the trees almost anywhere, however collecting it also in high elevations is better as it collects heavy metals in more polluted areas. You may also come across winter Oysters, which have a goldish tint and can get pretty big. Lastly is the brick top mushroom, which is edible but needs caution as the sulphur tuft and other members of that family, are toxic. There’s always other interesting fungi out, polypores, slime molds, and such and sometimes just seeing those and admiring the whole mycelium network can a joyful experience. In that spirit I’d like to wish everyone a very happy holidays and a merry new year! I wish everyone to be in great health, to be happy and feel light in your steps and can’t wait to see what 2023 shale bring us in the mushroom kingdom and beyond.
