Mushroom Structure

• Stinkhorns are mushrooms that help to decompose organic material, such as mulch or fallen leaves, in your garden. The part of the mushroom that we often see above ground is the reproductive structure of the fungus; the body of the fungus is an underground network of white, thread-like filaments known as the mycelium. The mycelium is usually long-lived and remains as long as there is a supply of organic material to decompose.
  
  

Stinkhorn Growth Cycle

• Stinkhorn Fruiting Bodystinkhorn and flies image by john barber from Fotolia.com
  
  The stinkhorn mycelium forms egg-like structures about the size of a golf ball when environmental conditions are right, often after rain. These "eggs" then produce the above-ground structure that is the fruiting body of the mushroom. Mushrooms must distribute their spores to reproduce. The stinkhorn does this by attracting insects with its odor, which is actually quite stinky. The insects then carry the spores of the stinkhorn off to new locations.
  
  

Control

• There is no practical method for controlling stinkhorn mushrooms in your lawn, nor is there any need to do so. The mushrooms are a sign that the environment is rich in organic material and they are simply a part of the natural decomposition process. However, if you consider the mushrooms a nuisance, simply break them off and dispose of them. Otherwise, enjoy these sporadic visitors as vital members of your garden's eco-cycle.
  
  Most stinkhorn mushrooms are not poisonous, but humans and animals should not consume them. Never eat any mushrooms that you find in nature without consulting an expert on fungi. Even mushrooms that you think you recognize as edible can be lethal copycats.