27 Responses to “Stinkhorn Fungi”

1. Denise Alchin, on October 9th, 2008 at 8:30 pm Said:

   Thank you we have recently noticed a couple of these strange fungi in our garden.. We noticed the smell first! We live in Sawtell, Coffs Harbour and our front garden receives little direct light and is mulched.

2. Sue, on October 11th, 2008 at 12:03 pm Said:

   Hi Denise,

   These fungi are indeed very strange. We have had no more since the ones pictured erupted from the mulch.

   Interesting that you smelt yours. It was the colour that drew my attention. I thought a bit of red rubbish had blown into the garden ( I didn’t have my glasses on! )

   🙂
   Sue

3. Bec, on November 1st, 2008 at 12:10 pm Said:

   Wow! This is an extremely strange plant. I just found it in my backyard and it STINKS ha. My mum has been a florist for 30 years and she’s never seen anything like it..

   I never expected it to grow so close to the beach. I’m right on the beach and I live no where near any forests or bushland.

   I thought it was a peice of rubbish lol

   Even through heaps of plastic bags, you can still smell it.

   I really thought I wouldn’t find it so easily on the internet but I searched for ‘star fungi’ and got it. Its so GROSS haha.

4. Pett, on March 17th, 2009 at 2:52 am Said:

   Greatings,
   Thanks for article. Everytime like to read you.

   Have a nice day
   Pett

5. shawn shaw, on August 4th, 2010 at 7:22 am Said:

   Thanks for the info. I can tell you the truth this strang looking smelling fungi will have an everlasting effect on my nostrills for ever. WHAT IN THE SMELL? LOL

6. David, on November 10th, 2010 at 9:05 pm Said:

   We have them growing from the woodchip mulch after very heavy rain. Freaky looking things, but I don’t notice any smell.

7. Judy, on January 20th, 2011 at 10:31 am Said:

   Hello

   I have found a clump of these growing in chip bark mulch in my native garden. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’d never seen such a strange fungus.

8. Joy, on March 31st, 2011 at 4:11 pm Said:

   Have just come across this stinky thing in our yard. We also live in Coff’s. It’s been very humid. Poor cat! He was being blamed for the pooey smell in the garden until we found the plant.
   Does anyone know how long they last? It’s been there for a few days but appears closed up now…maybe because it looks darkish and as though a storm is coming up. Oh no! There’ll be more!

9. Dianne, on May 2nd, 2011 at 9:52 pm Said:

   Been in down town Booral now for 23 year’s, first time I have ever seen a stinkhorn in my lawn, thought the bird’s had drop a flower off the firewheel tree, so there yu go, live and learn every day, have had alot of other fungi’s around this year too, just hope it fine’s up for a bit, or I may start growing them on me boot’s,, Di

10. Sue, on May 2nd, 2011 at 10:27 pm Said:

    LOL
    Hi Di, yes I agree. Time for some fine weather. Everything is damp… smells damp… like a wet dog. Sue 😀

11. Margaret, on May 31st, 2011 at 8:30 pm Said:

    I found one Stinkhorn in my yard this morning but my neighbour behind me had about 8. They do indeed smell like sewage. I live at Sanctuary Point in the Shoalhaven and have never seen them before in my life. To touch the stem it is very spongy.

12. Sue, on June 1st, 2011 at 12:06 am Said:

    Hi Margaret. You are brave! I wasn’t game to touch one!
    I have not seen any in our backyard since I posted those pictures.
    Sue

13. Anthony, on November 3rd, 2011 at 3:28 pm Said:

    The first time I found this growing in my yard was because I found the dog (Callum) rolling in something disgusting, and smelling even worse after it. It is spreading. I dig it out and it grows back somewhere else.

14. Sue, on November 3rd, 2011 at 7:08 pm Said:

    Ugh!

    I guess there are lots of fungi spores around your place.
    🙁
    Sue

15. Anthony, on November 4th, 2011 at 10:01 pm Said:

    I have decided to let them grow and keep Callum away from them. They have a spectacular flower (if that is the term) and a fantastic talking point. So I will let nature be for a bit…..

16. Sue, on November 5th, 2011 at 12:20 pm Said:

    A great talking point for sure.

    I find it incredible that you could go through life without ever seeing one. There have been no more in our backyard since posting this topic and I’m somewhat disappointed.

17. Christine McKenna, on December 28th, 2011 at 10:10 pm Said:

    We’ve had 2 different types in Guildford NSW this summer after a lot a rain and humid weather. The starfish or anenome ones numbered 12 in one garden and some phallus rubicanus (thin orange spikes with black tops) keep popping up in tan bark near my letterbox. Fascinating, even my cat sits and looks at them LOL

18. Sue, on December 29th, 2011 at 11:09 am Said:

    12! wow! Great pics of your aliens in your blog and I can just imagine your cat staring at them. I wonder if a tentative paw has yet made contact!

    We have had no more sprout since my first encounter despite this humid weather. Everything else is thriving though, particularly the weeds. 🙂

19. Jack, on July 15th, 2012 at 2:59 pm Said:

    My grandson, Jack, found one of these in the Karawatha Forest, Brisbane, today. Was the highlight of the day.

20. Sue, on July 15th, 2012 at 3:09 pm Said:

    I understand completely as I felt the same way. Awesome would be the best description. Jack, I’m glad you had such a wonderful day.
    Sue
    🙂

21. Sue, on July 22nd, 2012 at 12:15 pm Said:

    I’ve found around half a dozen of these in my garden on the NSW Central Coast (near the lake) over the last week or so. I too thought it was rubbish initially and blamed stray cats for the smell.
    Alien is a great way of describing their appearance!

22. Sue, on July 22nd, 2012 at 4:38 pm Said:

    Spotted… half a dozen aliens on the Central Coast! They do get around.

    I find the replies here fascinating as most people I talk to have never seen these wonderful fungi and they seem to be short lived – well in my backyard anyway.

23. Susan, on October 27th, 2012 at 10:01 am Said:

    I have found some in my garden in the mulch under a huge eucalyptus tree. Location of my garden:

    Balneario Solis
    Uruguay
    SOUTH AMERICA !!!

    Also thought they looked alien and disgusting when they started to go slimy. I’m near the beach too. Didn’t notice a smell, but didn’t like to get too close either!!!

24. Sue, on October 28th, 2012 at 8:35 pm Said:

    Hi Susan,
    Wow, Uruguay, South America. Its fascinating to learn that these fungi are so common that they spring up all over the world yet many of us rarely see them up close. I’ve not seen anymore in our backyard and perhaps I never will.
    Thank you for dropping by and sharing your encounter with Stinkhorn Fungi.
    Sue

25. Susan, on November 6th, 2012 at 12:09 pm Said:

    Yes, it’s amazing, isn’t it? Obviously the conditions are all very similar – thick mulch and very damp. We’ve had a lot of rain here recently. Had never seen anything like them before. It’s been great sharing this with all of you in Australia. All the best

26. Karen Gilmore, on July 19th, 2015 at 12:04 pm Said:

    I found one of these growing in my backyard under a mac nut tree that I’d mulched heavily this spring. I live in Kula on Maui @ 3200 ft elevation on Mt Haleakala. I’d seen them regularly at sea level when I lived on the North Shore of Kauai which has much more rainfall. Thank you for helping me id this unusual fungus

27. Sue, on July 19th, 2015 at 5:29 pm Said:

    Hi Karen. Amazing to hear about them popping up around the world. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂