Want a cool fact for your next trivia night? Here’s one: the world’s largest organism isn’t a blue whale or a giant tree. It’s a fungus! Yes, you read that right.
When you think of fungi, you might picture mushrooms popping up from the ground. Those mushrooms are just the visible part of a much larger entity. Most of the fungus lives underground as a network of tiny filaments called mycelium, kind of like the roots of a tree.
The biggest fungus, known as *Armillaria ostoyae* or honey fungus, covers about 3.7 square miles in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest. For some perspective, that’s nearly the size of two Gatwick Airports or three Central Parks. Imagine the surface area being equivalent to around 18,500 blue whales!
This fungus feeds on trees, breaking down their material to thrive. Interestingly, parts of it glow faintly in the dark, a phenomenon called ‘foxfire.’ Scientists first identified this massive organism in 1998 when trees started dying mysteriously, leading them to discover the culprit: a single, clonal fungus.
But how does it grow so large? A 2017 study revealed that it has a special set of genes that let it extend its rhizomorphs deep into the soil. This helps it find and digest wood more efficiently.
Experts estimate this colossal organism is between 2,400 and 8,650 years old, making it not just the largest but also one of the oldest living things on Earth.
In a world where environmental conservation is increasingly important, this fungus serves as a reminder of nature’s incredible complexity and resilience. Understanding organisms like the honey fungus can inspire us to protect our ecosystems for future generations.
