Fly algaric Amanita muscaria
http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/amanita-muscaria-fly-agaric
Wordless Wednesday – Fly Algaric – Amanita muscaria
Gardening Jules
Birds, Bees, Flowers, Trees – Organic & Wildlife Friendly Gardening
Fly algaric Amanita muscaria
http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/amanita-muscaria-fly-agaric
Gardening Jules 
Beautiful, but where are the pixies?
No pixies to be seen, I have only just realised having looked on the Kew site how poisonous it is and it featured in so many childhood books!
But if you eat a bit of it then you get to see pixies! It’ s hallucinogenic.
Maybe after lunch! There must have been some interesting author and illustrator meetings over the years.
Lovely photograph:)
I spent a long time lying on wet grass trying to photograph this mushroom, I am very glad you like it!
Always wanted to find one of these. Lovely photo again.
This is the 2nd I have seen this Autumn, both around our nearby woods where there are lots of self set birches. The first had been nibbled and was almost fully blown but this second one looked quite fresh, I’ve been back but its gone now.
All we need is the gnome!
Haha, there may have been one hiding!
It is a stunning picture Julie, worth getting wet for. It follows the old country saying if it is growing in the wild and red don’t eat it. Of course there are many other fungi that are not red but deadly poisonous!
I would not eat any fungi apart from mushrooms from a supermarket. One of my brothers is a great wild mushroom collector but he is a great cook too. I am far to afraid picking the wrong ones.
Beautiful photograph, Julie! I used to see these a lot on the heathland near where I grew up in Kent.
You grew up in a beautiful part of the country Clare – I have relatives from Tunbridge Wells and spent many childhood holidays across the border with my grandparents in Sussex. I remember one summer staying with another set of relatives who had a hop farm in Kent, I do not recall toadstools but do remember tasting elderflower cordial for the first time.
I love elderflower cordial! As I think I told you I was born in Barton, near you in Bedfordshire, but I don’t remember living there as we soon moved to Kent. I lived in Bromley which was much smaller in those days and we regularly went out of the town just a few miles to heathland and woods. I still have relatives living in Edenbridge and Crowborough and along the Kent and Sussex border. It is still lovely but so much busier than when I was young.
I’d almost only thought these existed in children’s picture books and on holiday trees. What a wonderful photograph – you were brave to stretch out and get wet but it obviously paid off!
This is the best time of year for fungi over here, especially after wet weather, if its too dry they fruit much less. An upside to the rain!
Yes, great photo and worth getting a little wet for… I’m with you though and steer clear of all these wild mushrooms! (Eating them that is)
We are going on our third yearly organised ‘Fungal Foray’ at the end of the month, but we never bring anything back, its an opportunity to learn rather than collect, but should we pass a blackberry bush I would eat those!
Jealous! I’ve never seen one of these!
Theresa, I saw three more in group by two silver birches this week, all in different stages of growth. I’ve read that Fly Algaric have a specific relationship with this tree. Hope you get to find one!