Mushrooms on Lawns

Dr. John F. Baniecki
WVU Extension Service
Plant Pathology and
Entomology Specialist
August 2000

Mushrooms of many different sizes, colors, shapes, and habits of growth commonly invade lawns after prolonged wet weather. Although they usually disappear when the weather becomes dry, it is sometimes necessary or desirable to apply control measures.

The mushrooms that grow in clumps or individually on the lawn are growing on some organic matter buried in the soil. This organic matter may be in the form of buried logs, dead roots, stumps, or even construction debris. Fungi of this types are saprophytes and cause no damage to the grass even though they are unsightly.

Another type of mushroom, called "fairy rings," that form an arc or circle on the lawn, do damage lawns. The grass near the ring or arc of growth is darker than the grass outside the ring. However, the grass inside the ring becomes brown and eventually dies. The "fairy ring" grows from a central point and continues to spread at the rate of 6 to 24 inches annually. This means that the affected area becomes greater each year. Fertilization may help mask the affected area or the infested turf can be dug out, replaced with clean soil, and sodded or seeded.