Ghost Mushroom Lane

A luminous mushroom can be found growing in local pine forest during May and June each year.

ForestrySA is pleased to offer you the chance to experience the brilliant glow first hand at seasonal visitor site, Ghost Mushroom Lane.

The Ghost Mushroom (Omphalotus nidiformis) is a bioluminescent fungus that emits a soft green glow at night.

The species is native to Australia and can often be found growing on decaying plant material, such as stumps left  behind following pine tree harvest.

The mushrooms emerge in late autumn following good rain and continue into winter, reaching a size of up to 20cm wide.

The soft green glow is a result of a chemical reaction between fungal enzymes and oxygen. The Ghost Mushroom glow can be bright enough to read the words on a page!

An estimated 65,000 people have visited Ghost Mushroom Lane during the last three seasons, creating significant media exposure for the Limestone Coast region. See media below:

• South Aussie with Cosi
• The Living Room, with Dr Chris Brown (story features at 2 minutes 45 seconds)
• The Living Room, with Dr Chris Brown – fact sheet 
• Channel 7 News
  
• Totally Wild (story features at 19 minutes 23 seconds)
• Australia’s Science Channel

As always, we encourage forest visitors to bring their cameras along to record and share their forest experience.

While producing clear shots in the dead of night can be tricky, thanks to well known local photographer and nature enthusiast Ockert le Roux, it has never been more simple.

Ockert has kindly put together a technical guide to would-be photographers capture the best possible shots of the ghost mushroom. Just scroll down to the bottom of this page to have a read.

We would love to see how much you enjoyed Ghost Mushroom Lane. Be sure to share your experience on social media and let others know about this unique opportunity.

Be sure to add the hashtags below to help others find your images:
#GhostMushroom #GhostMushroomLane #OmphalotusNidiformis #MountGambier #LimestoneCoast #ForestrySA #Fungi #Forest #GreenTriangle #DiscoverMountGambier

Please be aware that Ghost Mushroom Lane is located within a working commercial pine forest and entry is undertaken at your own risk.

The ground is irregular and uneven, with loose surfaces.

As the Ghost Mushroom can only be seen after dark, visibility is also poor.

This experience is suited to people with an average level of fitness. Warm clothes, sensible closed-toe footwear and a torch are a must.

Thank you to OneFortyOne for helping us present this unique forest experience!