Bleeding Tooth Fungus

fungi · mushrooms · weird nature · forest floor

Oozes red juice. When Hydnellum peckii is young, it leaks bright red liquid from underneath its white cap, making it look like a tiny tooth dripping blood. This strange liquid is actually the mushroom releasing excess water, but it's definitely eerie to find in the forest.

Looks like dessert. The contrast between the pale white top and red underside made people call it strawberries and cream, which sounds way nicer than bleeding tooth. As the mushroom ages, it loses the red liquid and turns darker and drier.

Part of a fungal family. Hydnellum peckii belongs to the Hydnellum genus and the Bankeraceae family of fungi, which are tooth fungi because they have tooth-like structures hanging under their caps instead of gills like regular mushrooms.

Hides on forest floors. You might find this mushroom growing on the ground in forests across North America and Europe, usually near decaying wood. It's harmless to touch, so you can admire its weird appearance up close.

Bright red trick. Scientists still study why this mushroom produces such vivid red liquid, but it likely helps it spread spores or attract insects that will help distribute them to new places.