PARK WATCH Article March 2025 |

Autumn is here so fungus season is upon us! Here’s some tips to help you marvel at morels, journey for jellies, peek at puffballs and seek out stinkhorns.

When should you start seriously searching?

The best time to look for fungi in Victoria is between March and July, as the weather gets wetter and cooler. After the Autumn rains hit (which varies from year to year), that’s when you’ll really want to ramp up your fungus forays.

Having said that, you can find fungi at anytime of year, particularly after rain. So always keep your eyes peeled!

Places to go

Fungi live in all sorts of places, from beaches to the tops of mountains. But there’s a way to maximise your fungus finds – focus on where they’re most prolific. Moist gullies, wet forests and rainforests are peak fungus habitat.

Some places to explore:

  • Maits Rest Rainforest Walk in Great Otway National Park.
  • Sherbrooke Forest in the Dandenong Ranges National Park.
  • Ada Tree Walk near Yarra State Forest.
  • Tarra Valley Rainforest walk in Tarra Bulga National Park.
  • Errinundra Saddle Rainforest Walk in Errinundra National Park.

Tips for finding fungi

The biggest mushroom in Australia, Phlebopus marginatus, can be over 70 cm wide, but it’s the exception to the rule. Most fungi are very small. So, on your fungi forays, walk slowly, look closely and take in tiny details.

Different fungi like to grow on different substrates. Scrutinise rotting logs, tree trunks and leaf litter on the ground. Shady areas with damp ground are your friend.

Snow Fungus jellies (Tremella fuciformis) can often be found growing out of fallen logs. Whereas Toothed Jelly fungi (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum) prefer living tree trunks.

On the other hand, Elegant Blue Webcaps (Cortinarius rotundisporus) grow straight out of the leaf litter on the ground.

Some fungi are ultra specific. Like Critically Endangered Tea-tree Fingers (Hypocreopsis amplectens) which grow on top of another fungi, on dead branches about 5 cm wide of Prickly Tea-tree, Banksia and Melaleuca. Or Small Dung Buttons (Poronia erici), which grow on the poo of herbivores.

Take a photo!

When you find a fungus, snap a photo! Upload your fungus sightings to iNaturalist to help scientists and land managers learn more about them.

Pro-tip for snapping your pics: to get photos of the gills, turn your phone upside down so the camera is close to the ground. That way you can rest it right underneath the mushroom and get a good shot of the gills.