Question
Hi there...
My husband was working out in our lawn today and noticed this orange-like
flower growing through a large section of our back yard.  We've lived here 10
years and have never seen this before.  After looking online, it appears to be
orange peel fungus.  Do you know how to get rid of this?  It's actually kind of
pretty, but we'd rather not have it in our lawn.  :)  
Thanks,  Judy of Marquette, MI

Answer
The juicy demeanor of stalk-less 'Orange Peel Fungus' (aka 'Aleuria aurantia') won honors in Sept 2003 when it was voted Mushroom of the Month by the Northwest Mushroom Growers Assn.  The scientists were charmed by its resemblance to 'an orange peel on the side of the road'.  Related to Morels and Truffles, it's a Sac Fungus in the huge Phyllum Ascomycota.  They need heavy Clay Soil to develop.  Their spore-laden 'flowers' appear this time of year.  NWGA members speculate that these shrooms seek 'nutrients brought up by a back hoe or plow', and are therefore most commonly sited 'on sides of logging roads, embankments, loose gravel, and newly graded terrain.'

I know you'd like to remove it permanently, but when you're dealing with Fungi, it is easier said than done.  Unlike flowering plants, which you can yank out by the stem and roots, Fungi don't need light to reproduce and thrive, so most of the action is underground -- usually many feet underground.  Those Mushrooms you see are just the tip of the iceberg.

Instead, remove the Orange Peels daily (raking is effective) and discard in a plastic bag to keep the spores from spreading.  
Forget a 'Fungicide'; there's no chance for a chemical to spread out and down, into the Soil, the search and destroy Aleurial hyphae.  Alternately, you might consider cooking them -- bet you didn't know some people make a gourmet dinner of these.  Hungry NWGA members say they offer 'a nice, nutty flavor'.  Personally, I'm a bit queasy when it comes to this -- and to recall that old Gardener's saying, it is better to be safe than sorry.

LONG ISLAND GARDENER