Another, but delayed, season of Cerioporus squamosus

I have been observing this type of mushroom for many years in the same place. It grows on an old dead willow and it is beautiful to watch its growth, which is visible from day to day.

This year, the fruiting bodies of the scale frog appeared only in early June. Perhaps, if the weather is kind, they will also appear in September.

When you look at these mushrooms in their early development phase, they resemble the underwater world of corals, sponges and sea anemones. I have always been fascinated by such forms of life, because each year they are different, unique, original.

This year, these mushrooms appeared much later than usual. Previous years, these mushrooms were abundant at the end of March, and in June there was a so-called second flush.

Unfortunately, this year's spring was a bit late, and May was the coldest in 34 years, so the fruiting bodies of this edible tree mushroom appeared later. That doesn't mean they won't appear again in the fall, when it's warm and humid.

This fruiting body really has a giant leg and I think that when it grows, it will go for the record. I remember fruiting bodies from this place from previous years, and none were built so muscularly - we'll see, I will follow its development on an ongoing basis. Last year's fruiting bodies reached almost 50 cm in diameter.

And this is what the same mushrooms look like a day later. They grow quickly, and they are wonderful.