the fungus eats – Armillaria

An ethnography around tree parasites in Parc de Saint-Cloud and South of France feeds a large-scale storytelling of conflict between the fungus Armillaria and a gardener.

Armillaire or pourridié in French, Honey fungus in English, Armillaria mellea for mycologists. The enemy is a tree parasite developing from the pressured roots and then goes on underneath the bark to progressively digest the heart of the wood. Once the tree is infected, there is nothing else to do but cut the tree and eliminate the stump and remains of Armillaria mycelium in the turned over soil. Parasites seem to attack weak and old trees regardless of their human purposes, in orchards, registered parks and anyone’s backyards.

One compares it to measles or acne on the map where too many trees are to be cut down. Honey fungus is a nightmare, for infected fragile trees may fall on someone with a strong gust of wind, it destroys agricultural investment and century-old trees.

Interestingly, a specimen of honey fungus is also the largest living on Earth, in the Malheur National Forest of Oregon, measuring 2.4 miles (3.8 km). This fungus is known as the humongous fungus.