Mushroom in a Prayer Plant: How Spores Travel Through Air

Mushroom in a Prayer Plant: How Spores Travel Through Air

A gardener found a toadstool in their prayer plant, which had been in the same soil and pot nearly a year with no other growth. They wanted the variety and why it grew there.

Toad stool

Expert Explanation

The expert didn't know the mushroom species but explained how it got there: fungi reproduce by microscopic spores that travel through air like dust. The spore was either on the plant when purchased or came in through a door/window. The expert had this happen themselves.