GAINESVILLE — The golden oyster mushroom, with bright yellow pillowy caps, are a popular buy that are sold in grow-your-own kits as well as standard grocery stores, farmer and gourmet markets. But a University of Florida researcher warns the mushroom is quietly invading forests and could be headed to Florida next as more markets carry it.
Michelle Jusino, assistant professor of forest pathology at the UF’s School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatic Sciences (FFGS) at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) cautions that the popular mushroom prized by culinary enthusiasts and connoisseurs comes with great responsibility when growing.
“The golden oyster mushroom may look harmless on a log, but it appears to be a strong competitor in the forest,” she said. “It is associated with changes in the fungal community, reducing biodiversity and potentially affecting processes like wood decomposition and carbon cycling.”…