Yellow Parasol (Leucocoprinus birnbaumii)

Season: Year round in your house plants!
Edibility:  NO
Defining characteristics:  Growing indoors next to your houseplant.  Entire mushroom is bright yellow with a small ring on the stem.  Small spots/bumps on the cap with often a dark center.
Confused with: Those tiny yellow paper umbrellas you find in tropical drinks.

Yellow parasol visiting my jade plant.

This fascinating little guy popped up in my jade plant last weekend.  I thought it quite friendly of him to visit, given that I love fungi so much and rarely get a visit from a new species inside my own house!

A quick internet search for yellow mushroom houseplant brought up plenty of information on my visitor.  There doesn't seem to be a single agreed upon common name for the Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, so I am calling it the yellow parasol since is seems the most fitting option to me.

Apparently they grow outside in the south on rich compost or manure quite frequently.  Here in the northlands they show up in greenhouses and houseplants fairly often.  Once they are in your pot- you probably won't get rid of them- so don't bother trying.  I will see how often this guy produces a fruiting body and report back here whenever he does.

Note the ring on the stem.

Anyway- they are NOT edible- so don't try.  Enjoy their beauty while it lasts- as mine appeared matured and wilted in about 4 days total.

Read more from:  Tom Volk's Fungus or the Mushroom Expert