Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Recuperation journey: Learning about fairy rings

We currently have this phenomenon occurring in our front yard. Our son who was home for the weekend knew what it was, he had read about it. That was lucky because I was stumped! It's called a fairy ring.

Quoting from Wikipedia: 
"A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ringor pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms
"The rings may grow to over 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter, and they become stable over time as the fungus grows and seeks food underground. They are found mainly in forested areas, but also appear in grasslands or rangelands. 
"Fairy rings are detectable by sporocarps in rings or arcs, as well as by a necrotic zone (dead grass), or a ring of dark green grass. Fungus mycelium is present in the ring or arc underneath.
"Fairy rings are the subject of much folklore and myth worldwide—particularly in Western Europe. While they are often seen as hazardous or dangerous places, they can sometimes be linked with good fortune."

Well that clears that up! 


If you squint you can see the dark green grass forming a circle where the mushrooms are growing. 


I started to get silly and I put one of my gnomes in the ring, to see if anything magical would happen. See below:




So far, all's quiet.

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