Jack-o'-Lantern Mushroom

bioluminescence · fungi · poison · forest

Glows in the dark. The jack-o'-lantern mushroom produces its own light through a chemical reaction, giving off a ghostly greenish glow that you can see at night without any flashlight.

Highly poisonous. This mushroom is toxic if you eat it and can cause serious stomach problems, but you can't be harmed just by touching it or being near it.

Looks like chanterelles. Jack-o'-lantern mushrooms are bright orange and similar in shape to edible chanterelle mushrooms, which is why they trick people into thinking they're safe to eat.

Grows on dead wood. You'll find these mushrooms sprouting from rotting tree stumps, buried roots, and the bases of hardwood trees in European forests and woodlands.

A glowing mystery. Scientists still study how this mushroom creates its bioluminescence, and there's a similar species called the eastern jack-o'-lantern that glows in North American forests.