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If you've spotted a strange discolored object on a tree that looks like a hatched egg, don't worry — it's likely just a mushroom.
When Abbie Stevens noticed that a mysterious growth appeared on a tree outside her home, one she recognized from last year before her husband got rid of it, she posted a photo on a neighborhood website to see if anyone could identify it, per CBS 8.
The online help worked, and neighbors quickly pointed out it was a mushroom, a fact later confirmed by Ivo Fedak with Mindful Mushrooms in El Cajon who clarified that it was a fungus species called a Reishi Mushroom, or the "mushroom of immortality." While they may look strange, Fedak suggests leaving the mushrooms be to prevent them from spreading.
"I would just leave them alone," Fedak said. "Eventually they'll drop spores. If you smash them they'll spread even more. If you're really worried about them, you can gently pick them off and throw them away."
However, Pat Nolan, a plant pathologist with the San Diego Mycological Society, said the Reishi mushroom is a parasite that is "eating" Stevens' tree and has likely been there for years. Despite this, she doesn't suggest removing the fungus or even cutting the tree down as the mushroom is already living in the tree.
"I would just let it be," she said. "I would keep an eye on it and let it grow because it can take years or decades before it can kill it."
So why are Reishi mushrooms popping up around San Diego? You can thank the humidity for creating a welcoming environment for the fungi to grow. Fortunately, the news outlet reports, they won't hurt you or a pet if you happen to touch or eat it. However, it is best to avoid picking up a mushroom you fin in the wild and taking a bite as you can't be sure it's safe.
"It could be poisonous," said Fedak. "It's just better to be safe than sorry. Just go buy it at the store. And a dog probably peed on it a few times anyway."