CHICAGO (WCIA) — Following an initiative led by Wheaton elementary school students, Governor JB Pritzker named the Calvatia gigantea — also known as the “giant puffball” — as the official mushroom of ...

Foragers and chefs alike can't get enough of giant puffball mushrooms. The aptly-named giant puffball mushroom or Calvatia gigantea is common in Canada and parts of the U.S., like the midwest. the ...

Illinois has more than 30 state symbols. Some are easily recognizable, like the state flag; and others are more niche, like the state pie (pumpkin) or the state snack food (popcorn). Thanks to the ...

BRAINERD — Move over morels. Step aside chicken of the woods. A different edible mushroom is taking center stage this fall. At least that’s what happened recently for Bay Lake area resident Sheryl ...

Roy Heilman Special to The Free Press Aug 31, 2025 Aug 31, 2025 If you need, I’ll give you a moment to tee up the congratulatory emails, and so you can circle around to shower me with thunderous ...

Anyone who has kicked or stepped on a ripe, fungal puffball and seen its cloud of powdery dust knows why it was given this name. The puffs of powder contain millions of spores that serve to scatter ...

The giant puffball is large enough to be kicked around like a soccer ball when fully grown. Doing so will help release many of its seven trillion spores. (Clay Wollney) Puffballs are a form of fungi ...

You might have seen them on your fall walks or you might have seen them all over your TikTok For You Page, but you certainly wouldn't have missed them. The large egg-shaped puffball mushrooms are ...

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