During cool weather in winter and early spring, some Florida homeowners begin to notice foul-smelling mushrooms popping up in their yard. Although their strong rotting smell is unappealing, these fungi, known as stinkhorns, are not actually bad for your landscape and can be beneficial.
Identification
Stinkhorns are in the same order of fungi that includes puffballs and earthstars.
Stinkhorn "egg"Stinkhorn fungi start out as white, egg-like structures in mulch or other damp, decomposing material. Most of this fungal structure is underground. When enough water is available, this egg-sac structure will rupture and the mature mushroom (the “stinkhorn”) will emerge.
Stinkhorn mushroomDepending on the type of stinkhorn, this mushroom (the fruiting body of a fungus) is stalk-like, globular, or latticed. Stinkhorns vary in color but are usually pink to orange in Florida.