Magnificent Mushrooms! #17

Hello everyone and welcome back to another look at magnificent mushrooms! Today we will be looking at a different type of fungi which are also interesting and quite common in northeastern North America, and undoubtedly in many other places as well. So, welcome to the world of the Jelly Fungus! There are several different varieties though I have not found them all yet, but it would be nice to get photos of each one.

I will show the Orange Jelly Fungus, plus the White Jelly Fungus, though my picture of the white jelly didn’t turn out very good and it was gone two days later when I went back to that spot. It was the only time I have seen the white variety here. The orange jelly is quite common around here though and can be found in shades of yellow-orange to dark orange.

Orange Jelly Fungus.

They really are quite jelly-like, bouncy and wiggly and a smooth surface. Though smooth, the surface is quite uneven and can even look somewhat brain shaped. They grow on rotting logs, stumps and branches. They can grow up to 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5cm) long and 1 inch (2.5cm) tall. Both orange and white jelly fungi are about the same in size. Both seem to prefer coniferous wood.

Another Orange Jelly, but darker orange.

They will shrivel and dry out in dry weather but will return to normal when it rains. They can be found from spring to fall, though in our area they seem to be most common from early summer to early fall. They are edible if cooked in a soup, but SOME JELLIES ARE NOT EDIBLE, SO CAUTION IS ADVISED.

More Orange Jelly Fungi and just to the left of my name is White Jelly Fungus.

I would say it is better to stay away from eating them, they really don’t look or feel that appetizing anyway. But they are interesting to photograph, and they are very easy to spot while walking through the forest. Well, I hope you all have a great day and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2025 Steve McLeod.