Any mushroom that glows in the dark is obviously too cool to ignore. Even if it happens to be a poisonous mushroom, such as the Jack O’ Lantern, and should never be eaten. This pumpkin-orange mushroom often occurs during autumn, up until Halloween, sprouting in clusters beside oak trees. Although it is toxic, many people pick this poisonous mushroom anyway, then bring it into the dark for some fun.
Just looking at it won’t kill you. In fact, experienced mushroom hunters often pick a basketful of the poisonous Jack O’ Lantern and bring them into their bedroom at night to watch the faint green-blue bioluminescence reveal itself.
All survive the night.
Just don’t eat it. But you really should look.
Elsewhere in the country, the glow from this species can be bright enough for reading at night. Unfortunately, among our Illinois specimens, the glowing can be very faint, so you’ll want to wait in total darkness, waiting 5 or 10 minutes for your eyes to adjust. Then, faintly and increasingly, the spooky light show begins.
There are perfectly good arguments that could be made against wasting one’s time picking mushrooms that cannot be eaten, only to sit with them in the dark. People who’ve seen the light do not make such arguments.
