Creepy Plants and Fungi for Halloween

I was charmed to come across an article called, 13 Creepy Plants and Fungi for Halloween, from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew website (written by Grace Brewer and Eddie Johnston, and published on Oct 2, 2024). What a great collection of amazing horrors!

We've seen a few creepy fungus and mushrooms of our own over the last year. Rehydrated wood ear mushrooms really do resemble human ears in appearance and feeling. The fly amanita has a deadly allure and beauty about it.

Rehydrated wood ear mushrooms (Auricularia auricula-judae)

Fly amanita (Amanita muscaria)

Slime molds are also fascinating and creepy! These organisms are protozoans rather than fungi. According to Wikipedia, slime molds are a variety of small or microscopic organisms in different groups. They have both single-celled and multicellular forms during their life cycle, the individual cells coming together to form fruiting bodies that produce spores.

Tapioca slime mold (Brefeldia maxima)

Dog vomit slime mold (Fuligo septica, photo by David Harris)

Stay safe this Halloween!

Field Notes for October 2026

Welcome back to Field Notes!

October 1, 2026

Mushrooms in Alaska. My brother Dave came across this beautiful group of mushrooms while hiking through the forest in Juneau, Alaska on a beautiful fall day. That orangey-red color is perfect for fall and October!

Mushrooms in Forest (photo by David Harris)

October 3, 2026

Meanwhile in Oakland. Bobo the Husky and I came across this Chicken-of-the-Woods mushroom along the Montclair Railroad Trail. This specimen was growing at the base of a eucalyptus stump in a mixed oak and eucalyptus forest area. According to Miriam Rice in Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Myco-Stix, Chicken-of-the-Woods is a woody polypore and good for papermaking.

Chicken-of-the-Woods in California

October 6, 2026

On the Fence. Signs of Halloween are starting to pop up in the neighborhood. Bobo the Husky and I came across this trio of skeletons on our morning walk. Luckily it was bright daylight so we had no reason to fear (but it might be different in the dark of night).

 

Trio of skeletons on the fence

October 9, 2026

A Spider Hammock. A spider has taken up residency on a small shelf near the kitchen window. I was intrigued by the hammock shape of its web, so different from the orb shaped webs I typically see. The hammock is anchored high up on the wall, and in multiple places on the shelf below. A tiny spider sits suspended under the web shelf, and quite a few small insect carcasses are strewn beneath. The web may belong to the common Hammock weaver spider (Linyphia triangularis). Linyphia is a genus of sheet-weaver spiders belonging to the family Linyphiidae.

A spider hammock

October 12, 2026

Ghouls in the Hood. More signs of Halloween in the neighborhood. Bobo the Husky and I came across the ghoulish creature on one of our morning walks. I'm enjoying the imaginative decorations around the neighborhood.

Another ghoul in the neighborhood

October 15, 2026

Pet Semetary Scare. I've been noticing quite a few canine skeletons around the nearby neighborhoods (faux, I'm sure). It's not surprising, since we have so many dog lovers in the area. Bobo the Husky is undeterred, and just keeps on walking when we encounter them.

Canine skeleton loose in the neighborhood cemetery

October 18, 2026

Cooking with Mushrooms. For this month's mushroom cooking experience, I made a hearty, cream-of-mushroom soup for lunch, and served it with buttery toast and crispy apples, perfect for the cooler weather that we experience in between heat spells. The recipe calls for one pound of common white button mushrooms and half a pound of brown cremini mushrooms, both Agaricus bisporus and both obtained from our local grocery store. Optionally add a little cream to thicken and enrich the soup. 

White button and cremini mushrooms

Sauté mushrooms, onions, garlic, and other seasonings

Add broth and cream

Cream of mushroom soup on a cool, sunny day

October 21, 2026

A Crowd is Gathering. There are now seven skeletons on the fence, and they have been joined by three pumpkins and several ghosts behind the fence. It may be time for fear!

There are now seven skeletons on the fence!

October 24, 2026

OTHG Hike to Diablo Foothills. Mari and I joined the Over-the-Hills Gang hike to Diablo Foothills Regional Park, led by Anthony Fisher. (We missed our hiking buddy, Gaymond, who was serving on a jury). Diablo Foothills is in close proximity to Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area, Shell Ridge Open Space, the old Borges Ranch, and Mount Diablo State Park. Mount Diablo dominates the view from many vantage points.

View of Mount Diablo from the staging area

Straight up Shell Ridge Trail

The group met at the Orchard Staging entrance and parking lot. After introductions, we hiked Shell Ridge Trail up a steep, tricky hill that just kept on going! At the top we joined the Buckeye Ravine Trail and then the Stage Road Trail for the return, forming a three-mile loop.

Finally, at the top!

Golden hills and oak trees

The scenery was beautiful, first golden hills dotted with stately California oak and walnut trees, and then mixed oak forest in the shadier ravines. Along the way we saw the impressive Castle Rock formation and some weathered sandstone rocks. We enjoyed two cookie breaks, one at the top of the steep hill (Oreo cookies with Halloween-orange filling) and at the half-way point (ginger cookies from Safeway). We needed the calories!

Castle Rock

On the way down Buckeye Ravine Trail we ran into several sections of very steep trail covered with a light sand that was rather treacherous for our 55+ crowd. Thankfully, most of us had walking poles, and we had each other to rely on for extra help. A few chose to simply slide down the hill au derrière! We all made it without incident and with a good story to tell.

Through a sunny ravine

A little help from our friends

Mari and I finished off the hike at Andaman Thai in Walnut Creek, with delicious food and wonderful conversation. Check the East Bay Regional Park website for information about upcoming hikes with this wonderful group (don't worry, no steep hills to scale in the next few hikes)!

Intrepid hikers at Diablo Foothills (photo from Mari)

October 26, 2026

Flora and Fauna at Diablo Foothills. I probably missed a lot of the flora and fauna on this hike, because I was paying close attention to my feet and staying upright! But I did have the chance to see some beautiful vistas, plants, and interesting geological formations; and heard birds in the air and in the trees. Following are a few highlights.

The path less taken

Chicken-of-the-Woods growing on a felled oak

California Buckeye

Sandstone erosion

October 28, 2026 🍂

Landscape Maintenance. Time for fall cleanup, and to prepare for planting before the rainy season starts. The winter rains made a quick showing a week ago, but it's too early to tell if we'll have a wet winter. Since the last rain, we've had cool days and nights, and beautiful weather. Feels like fall!

✘ Weed the garden paths and beds (this is an ongoing task throughout the year, but worth mentioning every month). 

✘ Clean up leaves, berries, and drupes from the patios and paths, and either recycle in the compost bin or send to Waste Management to recycle. Retain the leaves under the oak tree to maintain the oak duff, which is important for the caterpillars that feed baby birds in the spring. Remove annuals that have scattered their seed and are at the end of their life cycle. Note: thanks to the focus on fire prevention this summer, we've already cleaned up a lot of material. 

🚫 Hire our arborist to prune the big oak tree, and the shrubs that are too tall for us to tackle. Note: The oak tree and shrubs do not need special trimming this year. I have taken care of the pruning required by the driveway, and cut back a few shrubs that want to grow into the paths.

✘ Prepare the soil in the rock garden, raised bed, and containers for fall planting. Plant seeds, bulbs, or starter plants, as appropriate. Be sure to water periodically until winter rains start. Note: no physical progress in this area, but I have been studying interesting rock garden and container ideas in the neighborhood. I think that counts!

☐ Collect grasses, seed pods, and dried flowers for fall arrangements.

Montclair Railroad Trail

Bobo the Husky and I have been hiking the Montclair Railroad Trail several times a week, as one of our morning routes. The one-mile trail follows part of the old Sacramento Northern railroad bed, and connects Montclair Village and Shepherd Canyon Road. There are several access points, but Bobo and I typically join at the top of La Salle. The path winds through oak, bay, and redwood areas, with lots of old eucalyptus stands along the way. The deep shade provides a cool place to walk during our summer heat in late September and October.

The Sacramento Northern Railway was a 183-mile electric interurban railway that connected Chico with Oakland by way of Sacramento, in Northern California. The Sacramento Northern provided an efficient, affordable rapid transit option from 1912 to 1957. The route included the 3700-foot long Redwood Peak Tunnel, which passed under the Oakland Hills between upper Montclair and Eastport station in Contra Costa (the tunnel has since been decommissioned and the entrances sealed).

Trail head at La Salle in Montclair Village in Oakland

Sacramento Northern railroad history

The trail is wide, with benches provided along the way. They are perfect for catching your breath, personal reflection, contemplating the universe, or writing and reading (we've seen all in actions)! Signage along the way provides history of the railroad, and the trail. Distance is posted at the quarter-mile points. The trail is well maintained by a neighborhood group of volunteers. Bobo is mainly interested in sniffing everything, and greeting people and dogs along the way.

Exploring the railroad trail with Bobo the Husky

Old eucalyptus grove, as well as oak and bay

I was curious about the one weathered post for Cytisus spp. (no other species are identified along the trail). Cytisus is a genus of about 50 species of deciduous or evergreen shrubs in the legume family (Fabaceae), commonly known as brooms (such as, French broom and Scottish broom). No native broom plants grow in Northern California, so they are considered an invasive species. They have probably been removed from the trail (but the trail sign remains).

Old identification sign for invasive broom

Chicken-of-the-woods mushroom growing on a dead eucalyptus stump

On our last hike along the trail, we discovered this beautiful chicken-of-the-woods mushroom specimen. Chicken-of-the-woods also like decaying oak wood. Several other specimens were also growing in the area, all in about the same stage of development. We always see something new and interesting along the Montclair Railroad trail.

Field Notes for September 2026

Welcome back to Field Notes!

September 1, 2026

OTHG Hike to Brickyard Cove. Mari, Gaymond and I kicked off September with a hike at the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park, which is operated by the East Bay Regional Park District. According to signage, the Park was created "from a patchwork of landfills and abused salt marshes" and is now a place that "nurtures native plants, wildlife, and the spirit of all who visit here".  We met up with the Over-the-Hills Gang at Brickyard Cove near Berkeley, California for the hike, led by Anthony Fisher. 

Brickyard Cove staging area

Berkeley Meadow Habitat Restoration

We walked through the Berkeley Meadow Habitat Restoration area. It is fenced on both sides for protection. From what we could see, the areas is rebounding really well. Land as well as people need restorative break!

View across the San Pablo Bay

View of San Pablo Bay with Mount Tam in the distance (photo by Mari)

Cookie break at the half-way point

Past the restoration area, we followed the shoreline and enjoyed the views of the bay. We had our usual cookie break at the half-way point (ginger cookies and several kinds of Girl Scout cookies). Gaymond, Mari and I finished up the hike at the nearby Thai Table in Berkeley over delicious food and great conversation. Check the website for information about upcoming hikes with this wonderful group.

Intrepid hikers at Brickyard Cove (photo by Gaymond)

Delicious Thai food to restore our strength

September 3, 2026

Fabulous Views from Brickyard Cove. I usually report on the flora and fauna that we see on our Over-the-Hills Gang hikes, but this time I want to call out all the great views we saw!

From this spot we could see the Port of Oakland as well as San Francisco across the Bay

 

From another place we could see the Marina Bay area where we hiked last time

From yet another location we could see Albany Hill and the USPS Distribution Center

September 6, 2026  🌞

Heat Wave! We are in the midst of a heat wave here in the Bay Area. I realize the temperature is nothing compared to other places in the country, but we're use to lovely, cool, marine temperatures most of the time. Our family has been living out on our covered patio, gathered around the patio table with the sun shades down. Ice cold watermelon and fruity popsicles help!

 

September 9, 2026 🧁

Happy Birthday to Bobo the Husky! Bobo turns six today, but had an appointment with the vet to update his vaccines. Bobo was a trooper and enjoyed the car ride, a walk around the block, hanging out in the air conditioned facility, and drinking lots of water. Don't worry, we plan to make him a hamburger "cake" for a real celebration later!

Thirsty Bobo makes himself at home

Later: Bobo's hamburger "cake" frosted with mashed sweet potato,
and decorated with milk bones and blueberries

September 12, 2026  🆒⛅ 

Back to Normal. Thankfully, we're back to our cooler weather here in the Bay Area. The temperature sometimes spikes at midday, but then cools off nicely in the late afternoon. This is our Mediterranean climate at work. We get our hot weather in September and October, while parts of the rest of the country are starting to cool off. I can feel fall around the edges though! 

September 16, 2026

OTHG Hike to Hayward Shoreline. Yesterday Mari and I joined the Over-the-Hills Gang hike to Hayward Shoreline Regional Park, led by Anthony Fisher. (Gaymond is on a bus tour of some of the favorite National Parks). The group met at the Grant Avenue entrance and parking lot, and headed north to join up with the San Francisco Bay Trail along the shoreline.

Heading north on the Bay Trail

Exploring along the trail

We hiked through the wetlands and along the shoreline, and enjoyed views of the bay. I'm slowly piecing together the patchwork of shoreline parks that we've been visiting, to gain a broader picture of the vast San Francisco Bay environment. Each park has its unique view, as well as shared views from a slightly different vantage point. We are so fortunate here in the bay area to have access to protected areas by the bay for wildlife and recreation.

Hiking through the wetlands

Cookie break at the half-way point

We had our usual cookie break at the half-way point (ginger and lemon cookies). Mari and I finished up the hike at the nearby Minami Sushi in San Leandro over delicious bento boxes and great conversation. Check the website for information about upcoming hikes with this wonderful group.

Intrepid hikers at Hayward Shoreline (photo by Mari)

September 19, 2026

Fauna and Whale Bones at Hayward Shoreline. We saw so many interesting things on our OTHG hike at Hayward Shoreline Regional Park. The wetlands area is a perfect place for bird watching, and we saw American coots, egrets, herons, seagulls, sandpipers, stilts, and hawks. Fall migration has started, so we'll see many more birds over the next several months. We also saw some California horn snails (Cerithidea californica) on the mudflats, and learned that local indigenous people would eat the snails as a quick snack, by breaking off the tip and sucking out the snail (Sushi style)!

Egret in the salt marsh

Shore birds feeding as the tide comes in

California horn snails on the mudflats

We also saw the skeletal remains of a whale. Several vertebrae and rib bones had washed up on the beach. A quick look online revealed that in May 2026 a 12 meter adult male gray whale had washed up on the San Leandro shoreline, just north of the Hayward Shoreline Regional Park near the Bay Trail. Hated to see that a whale had died, but it was so interesting to see its remains!

Remains of a gray whale

Bridge over the rising tide

September 22, 2026 🍂

Fall Equinox. Today is the first day of fall! Time to pull out a fall-themed puzzle and shift gears for the new season.

Time to shift to a few more inside hobbies!

September 26, 2026

Cooking with Mushrooms - Domestic Porcini Mushrooms. I purchased dried domestic porcini mushrooms from Far West Fungi on our summer outing to the Ferry Building (see Field Notes for August 2026, the August 11 entry). I rehydrated the mushrooms, and used them to make a savory puff pastry tart for lunch. Toppings included sautéed onions and porcini mushrooms, grated asiago cheese, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste (almost a "mushroom pizza")!

Dried porcini mushroom pieces

Rehydrated mushrooms

Porcini mushrooms (Boletus edulis) are also known as penny bun, cep, or king bolete. The species grows in deciduous and coniferous forests throughout Europe and North America. Far West Fungi air-dries a portion of its fresh organic and wild foraged mushrooms (from the Redwood forests of the Northern California coast), in their commercial kitchen.

Porcini mushroom tart

This was my first experience eating boletus mushrooms. They have a wonderful, rich woodsy flavor, which adds so much to the mushroom tart. The tart would also be good served as an hors d'oeuvre or appetizer for the upcoming holidays!

September 30, 2026 🌞🍂

Landscape Maintenance. End of summer cleanup, and kick off to fall. We're finally in our summer season here in the San Francisco Bay Area and we've had a series of heat spells. That typically means a high of low 80s during the day, but cooling off to low 50s at night. This is the time of year to monitor fire risk and fire activity. I continued to spend time cutting back shrubs, grasses, and dead wood, in response to the Fire Prevention inspection in July. I've also been monitoring plants for heat distress and providing extra water as needed.

✘ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). Remove the spent annuals and cut back dead foliage. Trim up iris, ivy, goldenrod, heucheras, Clarkia, California hedgenettle, maple, succulents and California buckwheat. Note: the ivy had a growth spurt, so cutting it back is keeping me busy!

✘ Sweep debris from surfaces throughout the yard (patios, steps, and walkways).

✘ Clean up leaves, berries, and drupes. Assess for potential dye sources. Sweep up any fallen oak leaves from the street and add to the leaf duff under the trees. Note: haven't gathered up the oak leaves from the street yet, but made good progress on leaves, berries, and drupes. Several potential dye sources include goldenrod, fennel, and California poppy. Some of the leaves, berries, and drupes might be lovely in fall eco-dying projects, such as the maple leaves, juniper berries and red-flowering currants.

✘ Continue cleaning up the streetside easement around the property for weeds and trash. Inventory and document the beautiful native plants in this area. Add mulch or wood chips as needed. Note: I've barely made a dent, but I'm working my way around the perimeter. Job security.

🚫 Schedule aesthetic pruning for the big oak tree, and any shrubs that are getting too tall for us to tackle. Optionally schedule a professional fall landscape clean up, and arrange for new plants to be planted in time for winter rains. Note: we had the oak tree pruned last fall, and it will probably be good for another five years. The rest of the trees and shrubs look good for now.