09/07/2026
Earthstar mushrooms. What even are they?
It’s like they’re saying, “Oh, you thought you knew mushrooms? Well, hold my spores.”
Earthstars belong to a group historically called Gasteromycetes, meaning “stomach fungi.” Which is reassuring, because nothing says I am completely normal and safe like a mushroom being classified according to an internal organ.
Native to Earth, the earthstar begins life as a little pod or bud. As it matures, it bursts open, or “blooms,” into a star-shaped structure. Tastefully. Hence, earthstar. It’s all coming together.
And then there’s water.
As the fungus dries out, its star-shaped “petals” curl inward. Add some moisture, and they open back up, revealing the spore-filled center. So it’s basically a mushroom with a hydration-triggered ta-da! moment.
And finally, can you eat it?
You were thinking it. (You’re the reason warning labels exist.)
Earthstars aren’t generally considered toxic, but they’re considered inedible because they’re hard, fibrous, and bitter.
“I can’t believe you’re still bitter.”
“It is.”
NPS photo: Closeup of an earthstar mushroom with its star-shaped rays unfurled at Redwood National and State Parks (NPS)
