IF you go down to the woods today, you might get a big surprise - there's been an explosion of mushrooms, some of quite unusual size.

Gardeners across the country are reporting a bumper crop in rarely-seen and exotic fungi spurred on my almost perfect conditions for them to sprout.

A damp end to the summer and a wet autumn has created fertile ground for them to grow outside, and species which usually haunt dark corners are now being seen in the open.

Gardeners at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Gardens and Partner Gardens have been reporting findings of unusual species, giant specimens and proliferations of fairy rings of the red and white-spotted toadstools beloved of childrens' stories. 

Michael Jordan, Chair of The Fungus Conservation Trust, recently led a fungi foray at the RHS Partner Garden at Hestercombe House and Gardens in Somerset, where they recorded an unprecedented 102 species in two hours.

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An Earthstar mushroom

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He said: “Fungi usually start ‘fruiting’ from late July, peak through September and October, and end in early December.  We are seeing a significant flush emerging right now, brought on by the ideal summer and autumn weather.”

Further North, at Attadale Gardens in Wester Ross, the grounds are festooned with unusual white-capped mushrooms, plate-like protusions and odd yellow creepers.

Garden manager Joanna Macpherson said: "We do seem to have an awful lot of mushrooms and fungi this year. Our gardners have been leaving them alone so anyone who wants to get a look at them can still do so.

"They are mainly out in the woods and on a recent count we found around ten different species, which is more than we usually see."

The Garden, which is open to the public until the end of the month, is holding two tour days next month where people can see any of the fungi which remain once the colder weather begins along with learn about the gardens' trees.

Among the species identified by budding mycologists are Earthstars, which release a puff of spores when pressed, and have been seen flourishing at Edinburgh's Royal Botanical Gardens and RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey.

Gardeners at Mount Stuart House, on the Isle of Bute, have reported a huge crop of interesting mushrooms near their Wee Garden, with Don Murray, Head of Landscapes and Horticulture saying: "‘We enjoy a very warm temperate climate with occasional rain we’re an oasis for mushrooms."

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A puffball mushroom bigger than a human head was recently observed as well as the black and spooky Dead Man’s Fingers, while last week the rare Devil’s fingertips or Octopus Stinkhorn (Clathus archeri) was spotted at RHS Garden Rosemoor, North Devon. Although this specimen has died, gardeners are waiting on tenterhooks as another is expected to appear in the coming days. 

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A Clathrus Archeri fungus growing among dead leaves

RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate, held a fungi foray at the weekend, spotting unusual kinds including Scarlet Caterpillarclub and Orange Peel, while Burrow Farm Gardens and Stone Lane Gardens, Devon, and Normanby Hall Country Park, North Lincolnshire all have observed growing specimens of fly agaric.

Fungi, which includes yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, and molds as well as mushrooms and toadstools, are distinct from plants because of the way they reproduce and the make up of their cells.

The thrive in dark, damp spaces and help recycle dead and decaying organic matter back into the soil. However, not all fungi are positive news.

As well as those that are poisonous, honey fungus Armillaria mellea is the bane of gardeners as it attacks and kills the roots of many plants and is very hard to eradicate.

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Guy Barter, Chief Horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: “We have a visual feast of funghi across our gardens at the moment. Fairy rings are annoying on lawns, but for the most part fungi are beneficial to gardeners. They break down organic matter in the soil and elsewhere, turning it into plant food. 

"They also feed a host of microbes which are important for biodiversity. Some are associated with plant roots and in exchange for sugars with which to grow, can protect roots from attack by harmful organisms and may supply the roots with water and nutrients in times of shortage.”