U.S.

California heavy rains bring mushroom explosion

/ AP

SONOMA, Calif. - Recent heavy rains have brought a mushroom boom to parts of California.

The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports that lands parched by a three-year drought just a few months ago are now seeing an explosion of both poisonous and edible mushrooms after about 2 feet of rain saturated grassy hillsides and swelled streams in Sonoma County.

It has been especially fruitful that the rains have been mixed with mushroom-friendly warm weather.

Darvin DeShazer of the Sonoma County Mycological Association says the fungi are "popping out of the ground everywhere right now."

The bloom has brought a mushroom boom to restaurant menus, farmers markets and foraging classes around the region.

First published on December 30, 2014 / 10:20 PM EST

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