Here at Glow Hub HQ we’re a liiiittle bit obsessed with mushrooms right now. In fact, we’ve been researching them daily for months. Apart from their incredible skincare benefits, here’s 11 of the wildest mushrooms facts we’re can’t stop thinking about…

1. Mushrooms are neither plant nor animal
   Although they belong to a kingdom entirely of their own (who knew?!) turns out what’s most shocking is that they’re more closely related to humans than they are to plants! Scientists believe that ourselves and mushrooms share an ancestor…
   
   
2. Mushrooms are in fact the largest living thing on earth! 
   Heard it’s the blue whale? Heard wrong… There’s actually a type of honey fungus (the Armillaria solidipes) that spans 3.8km across the Blue Mountains in Oregon. Mostly underground, this tree-killing shroom is a pretty humongous fungus.
   
   
3. They glow in the dark (just like our shroom range!)
   You can see where Team Glow took their packaging inspo from… There are around 80 different species of bioluminescent fungi, with Scientists finding new glow in the dark shrooms all the time. The latest was discovered in India & glow so brightly that the locals call them “electric mushrooms,” even using them as natural torches. The reason why they glow? Well, these shrooms use luciferins (light-emitting compounds) to glow and attract insects. They then use these insects to spread their spores to new locations – ultimately this is all about survival, helping the species grow and survive.
   
   
4. The Cordyceps mushroom can infect ants and turn them into zombies! 
   Anyone else immediately think of the Last of Us? Cordyceps shrooms infect ants with their spores, causing them to become brainwashed and disorientated. The fungus then compels (!!!) the ant to leave their nest and go to a nearby stem (the perfect place to grow a fungus). The fruiting body from the Cordyceps mushroom then bursts out of the ant’s head. Nature’s real life zombie…
   
   
5. Mushrooms can create their own wind!
    Shrooms do it again. In the past it was believed that fungi dispersed their spores through wind. Well… that it technically still true, but they don’t sit around waiting for a breeze to blow by, they actually make it happen themselves! They do this by releasing water vapour that creates a small, localised air stream. The cooling of the vapour then causes cells to move around the area – aka wind!
   
   
6. Fungi can survive in outer space. 
   Are mushrooms actually from outer space?! Potentially! Space shroom studies (aka mushrooms brought to outer space by humans) have been shown to survive incredibly high doses of radiation.
   
   
7. Oyster mushrooms are carnivorous
   Can a mushroom actually not be vegan? You decide. The mycelia (root_like structure of a fungus) in Oyster mushrooms are known to release a unique chemical that attracts roundworms. Once they’ve lured them in, they capture and digest them. Who knew?!
   
   
8. Chaga Mushrooms are the world’s greatest sources of antioxidants.
   Well one of them anyway. Antioxidants are *incredible* for fighting free radicals in the body and helping to lower oxidative stress, helping to promote overall wellbeing.
   
   
9. Mushroom can make you immortal.
   Okay, this one might be an over exaggeration. However, Reishi mushrooms are known as the “Mushroom of Immortality.” Having been revered in China for thousands of years, many believe it boosts immunity, energy, promotes relaxation and helps detoxify the body.
   
   
10. Fungi Allow Trees to Talk to Each Other
    Mycorrhizal fungi are a type of mushroom that form symbiotic relationships with host trees and plants. In simplified terms, the fungi interact with the plant’s roots and provide nutrients, and they get simple sugars in return.
    
    HOWEVER the fungi’s mycelial (root) network also helps facilitate sharing of nutrients and information between various plants and trees of different species – this is cutely known as the ‘Wood Wide Web!’ This vast networks allows them to share nutrients and warn each other about droughts, pests and diseases. Pretty cool, right?

11. Yartsa Gunbu is The Most Expensive Edible Mushroom in The World
    
    The Yartsa Gunbuo (caterpillar fungus), is a parasitic fungus that kills its host caterpillar and uses it to produce a mushroom that grows out of the caterpillar’s head.
    
    With traditional healers having used these shrooms for CENTURIES to treat illnesses and boost energy and endurance, eating them is considered a HUGE status symbol. At $2,000 for a single ounce, they’re the most expensive mushrooms in the world.

Obsessed by mushrooms as much as we are?! Learn more about our shroom range here!