Money Trees are quickly becoming one of the most popular houseplants around. They are loved by all, from total beginners to plant experts, because they’re hardy and easy to care for. But did you know this family favorite can sometimes house mushrooms in their soil? What should you do when you wake up to an unwanted visitor who has popped up in the pot next to your favorite plant. What can you do about mushrooms in your Money Tree?
Why is your Money Tree growing mushrooms? Mushrooms usually appear in houseplants’ pots because they were either present in your premixed potting soil or you or your plant picked up a mushroom spore that was floating through the air. Mushrooms are sometimes a symptom of an overwatered houseplant.
While mushrooms are not a cause for concern, they can become a bit of a nuisance. The most common houseplant mushroom, Leucocoprinus Birnbaumii, can be difficult to get rid of and may continue pushing up through your soil month after month. Keep reading for more information on why mushrooms appear, what they mean for your houseplant, and your best options for getting rid of them.
Where Did the Mushrooms Come From?
If you’ve noticed mushrooms suddenly appear in your Money Tree, you’re not alone. In fact, most people who have mushrooms describe them as showing up overnight. To understand why this is occurring, I need to give you a little education on mushrooms.
Mushrooms are not plants, but rather belong to the fungus kingdom. They do not reproduce by seed. Instead they reproduce in part by releasing spores which float through the air, undetected by the human eye. When a spore lands in an area with the correct environment, it will spread out underground and eventually will produce a fruiting body in the form of a mushroom.
Most of a mushroom’s life cycle is spent underground in a threadlike structure called a mycelium. Because of this, mushroom mycelium could be present in your Money Tree container for a long time before ever pushing out a visible mushroom.
The most common reason a mushroom has appeared in your Money Tree pot is that the spores or mycelium were already present in a premixed potting soil you bought. Miracle Gro and other soils with a high content of organic materials are notorious for housing mushrooms.
It is also possible, though quite a bit less likely, that a mushroom spore was in the air nearby your houseplant and landed in its pot. Or that you carried the spores back inside on your clothing which then found their way into your Money Tree.
No matter how it got there, if the spore of a mushroom has ended up in your soil, you will most likely see mushrooms in your pot alongside your Money Tree.
What Kind of Mushroom Is It?
The most common houseplant mushroom is Leucocoprinus Birnbaumii, also called Flowerpot Parasol or Yellow Parasol. They are small white or yellow capped mushrooms with thin stems and can be between 1”-3” tall.
Flowerpot Parasols usually appear in clusters, but it is possible to see a single mushroom as well. They are not dangerous to your plant, but you may wish to remove them when they emerge from the soil.
Warning: Do not eat these mushrooms! Flowerpot Parasols are poisonous to humans and pets.
Are Mushrooms Hurting My Money Tree?
While it may be alarming when you first notice these visitors in your Money Tree pot, mushrooms are rarely an issue for your houseplant. In fact, mushrooms and houseplants have a symbiotic relationship.
Since mushrooms contain no chlorophyll, they must rely on other organic matter for food. Mushrooms gain their food from breaking down decaying matter, like old roots or leaves, and are therefore not competing with your plant for the same nutrients. In return, mushrooms break down decaying matter and return it to the soil in a manner that can be reabsorbed by your plant. Really, it’s a win-win situation.
However, while the mushroom itself is not harmful, it may be a symptom of a bigger problem. Mushrooms like moist, humid areas and their presence in your planter may be a sign that you are overwatering your Money Tree.
Money Trees do not need to be overly wet and should only be watered when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil is dry. If mushrooms are appearing in your Money Tree pot, you might need to adjust your watering schedule.
Many types of mushrooms, including the most common Flowerpot Parasol, are poisonous to humans and animals. If you have pets or young children in your home who wouldn’t know any better than to try to eat the mushrooms in your Money Tree container, mushrooms should be removed from the pot as soon as they emerge.
Otherwise, as long as you aren’t overwatering, mushrooms can be welcome visitors to a Money Tree or other houseplant. The symbiotic relationship between the plant and the fungus is beneficial for both the mushroom and the Money Tree.
How To Get Rid of Mushrooms In Your Money Tree
Unfortunately, mushrooms are not always simple to eradicate. Between the spores they release and the underground mycelium, even your best efforts won’t always be enough to rid your plants of mushrooms completely. Flowerpot Parasols, which are the most commonly found mushrooms in houseplants, are notoriously difficult to eliminate.
There are a few things you can try that will not harm your Money Tree but may work to get rid of the mushrooms in your planters. Below I’ve listed out the five best ways to do away with mushrooms in your Money Tree, in order of simplest to most complex.
PLUCK OUT THE MUSHROOMS
What most people end up doing when mushrooms appear in their houseplants is to simply pluck out the fungus as soon as they see it appear. While this will not stop them from coming back, removing the mushroom should keep it from releasing more spores into the air and continuing to reproduce.
When plucking out mushrooms, there are two things you can do to be most effective. First, pull the mushroom up by the stem. If you try to grab it by the cap, the cap will come off and you’ll have only removed half the mushroom.
Second, pull up the mushroom with a plastic bag or paper towel over your hand and the mushroom. This will keep the fungus from releasing more spores into the air as you remove it from the soil.
Removing mushrooms in this way will also keep them out of reach from pets or small children who might ingest them. Remember, many mushrooms, including the Flowerpot Parasol, are poisonous.
RETHINK YOUR WATERING PATTERNS
Mushrooms love moist, humid soil, so if you’ve been leaving your Money Tree too damp, you may be contributing to the problem. Changing your watering habits may be enough to discourage mushrooms in your planter.
You should let your Money Tree’s soil dry out between waterings. I always wait until the top one to two inches of soil are completely dry before adding any more water. To check, just push your finger down into the soil and feel for moisture. Drying out your Money Tree in between waterings will keep your plant from becoming the ideal environment for mushrooms.
You may also want to consider watering your plant from the bottom for a while. This will keep the top inch or two of your soil from ever being very wet and may discourage mushrooms. To do this, place your Money Tree in a dish of water and let it soak it up through the drainage hole in the bottom of your planter for 20 to 30 minutes. For more information on watering Money Trees, read this article.
SCRAPE THE TOP LAYER OF SOIL
Sometimes you can rid your Money Tree of mushrooms by removing the top inch or two of soil from the plant and discarding it. Since this is where the mushrooms are growing, throwing out this top layer of soil may do the trick.
To remove a layer of soil, I use a clean spoon and gently scrape off the top soil and put it into a plastic bag, which I tie off before throwing away. Remember, mushrooms reproduce through spores, so it’s best to keep those spores from being present in your home any way possible.
Once the top is removed, you’ll need to replace it with new potting soil. If you believe potting soil is what introduced the mushroom issue to begin with, definitely throw away the old bag of potting soil and purchase a new one before putting it back onto your tree.
REPOT YOUR MONEY TREE
Your best chance at getting rid of mushrooms in your Money Tree is to repot it and throw away as much of the old soil as possible. This can be done by removing your tree from its container and rinsing the roots under your sink, using your fingers to gently remove the excess soil.
Once you’ve removed all the old soil, you should also clean your pot. I use a mild bleach solution of one part bleach to nine parts water to rinse old containers before repotting in them again.
Again, if you believe the potting soil you originally planted your Money Tree in was where the mushrooms came from, be sure to throw it away entirely and purchase a new bag of soil for your Money Tree. For recommendations on the best potting soil for Money Trees, click here.
FUNGICIDE
I am not a fan of harsh chemicals in my home or on my houseplants, so this is not something that I would personally recommend. Fungicide should really only be used as a last resort. If you do want to go this route, Bonide Fung-onil Fungicide is a good option. Find it here on Amazon.
Unfortunately, with some mushroom issues, even fungicide will not eliminate the problem completely. Once the mushroom spores are present in your plant, they can be extremely difficult to remove.
Final Thoughts
Mushrooms can be a visual annoyance to those of us who have Money Trees. Fortunately, in most cases, they present no real threat to our beloved houseplants. In fact, the presence of mushrooms often helps to create a healthy soil and ecosystem for your Money Tree.
If you don’t mind the appearance of mushrooms in your plant, you may consider leaving them alone and letting them create a symbiotic relationship with your Money Tree. But if you can’t stand the sight of them, plucking them out as they appear is usually the best course of action.
To avoid mushrooms invading your planters in the future, be sure that you are not keeping your soil overly wet. Money Trees don’t need to be kept in damp soil and should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Also, remove any dead or dying leaves or roots when you see them appear. Without any decaying organic material to feed on, mushrooms won’t be likely to settle in your planters.