Bleeding Tooth Fungus

When it comes to Halloween we aren’t the only ones who like to decorate for the season. The natural world has its own unique displays of fright and ghoulishness including the bleeding tooth fungus (Hydnellum peckii)! The world of fungi is endlessly diverse but few, if any, match the sight of this species. If you catch one of their fruiting bodies just right you’ll see its white flesh oozing a thick blood-like sap from numerous pores. Bleeding tooth fungus, as horrifying as it looks isn’t known to be poisonous or dangerous, although not edible either. They often pop up in fall under pines after a rain. They become very innocuous once they mature and stop emitting their blood-like sap so finding them at ‘peak’ ooze is key!

Information courtesy of the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves