White Mushroom Growing in Houseplant: Detect and Get Rid of Them

Various types of mushrooms can thrive in your potted plant soil from white to brown or even black mushrooms. Leucocoprinus birnbaumii is the most common white mushroom growing in houseplant. This mushroom is not edible, so if eaten by kids or pets, it causes stomach problems. Hence, you should get rid of white mushrooms growing in potted plants. Join me in this post to tell you everything you must know about them.

After reading the present article you can answer the following questions: What is white mushroom in the soil of my houseplants? How to identify them? Is white mushroom growing in my houseplant harmful for my potted plant or me? Why is a white mushroom growing in the soil of my houseplants? How do they enter my houseplant? How to get rid of them and prevent the next infestations?

I’m a plant pathologist and houseplant lover. I’m here to help you for having a more beautiful and lush home. I will walk you through this article, hence feel free to ask your questions below this page.

What is White Mushroom in the Soil of My Houseplants?

Based on my experiences, most likely your white mushroom growing in your houseplant soil is a kind of Leucocoprinus birnbaumii. This species has two varieties including yellow and white mushrooms. However, some researches show that the yellow ones may fade to white colour with age too.

Hence if you have a white mushroom, it is most likely a white type of Leucocoprinus birnbaumii or an aged yellow type. In this article, we will talk about white types but if you are involved with the yellow kinds too, you can also read “Yellow mushrooms growing in houseplant”.

let’s get going to identify the White mushroom growing on your houseplant soil.

Identifying the White Mushroom Growing in Houseplant

Our object is correct identification but there isn’t a Mycology class. Hence to make it easy for you I explain its characters by picture.

Mushrooms’shape: 

• It emerges as oval shapes
• It turning bell-shaped
• It becomes flat as the mushrooms age
• It has a slender stem
• The length of the stem is between 1 and 3 inches.

The color:

• Its cap is white (or cream to bright yellow)
• It has yellowish gills.

The cap’s surface:

• Its cap is smooth and dry
• Its cap converts into a scaly or powdery appearance like the mature mushroom.
• They can spread by tiny spores and mycelia that you cannot see to the naked eye.

The Habits of White Mushroom Growing in Houseplant

You may wonder why mushroom habits are important. Most strategists to get rid of them (or even prevent them) are designed based on their habits. I will tell you the most important tips in this issue. keep reading.

➡ White mushrooms growing on your houseplant soil are saprophyte. Hence, they never like to feet off your potted plant. The nutrients from decaying matter in the soil. They break decayed matter of soil into the smallest parts and convert them into edible nutrition for your houseplant.

 💡 Functional point: 

White mushrooms in your houseplant are not harmful to your indoor plant and can help to improve its growth. 

 ➡ They love warm, humid conditions with rich soils. It is often the favourite environment of your houseplant too. Hence, they usually like to grow inside your indoor plant.

➡ The white mushrooms growing in your houseplant are not edible and they are toxic if someone eats them. After eating them some gastrointestinal symptoms such as mild or severe diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea and even death were reported.

Hence, if you have little kids or pets, mind the presence of these fungi in your house.

Why Is a White Mushroom Growing in the Soil of Your Houseplants?

They can come in your houseplant pot in various ways. As mentioned earlier their tiny spores spread through the air and land in your houseplant or its soil. This event may occur while buying your houseplant, or by adding infested soil to your houseplant.

How to Get Rid of White Mushroom Growing in Houseplant Soil?

However, these fungi are beneficial and help the growth of your houseplant but if you have a little kid or pet you should get rid of them. We first show you several tips for removing them and then talk with you about preventing them.

First Step: Remove White Mushroom in Houseplant Soil 

As mentioned earlier, there are four essential factors for growing mushrooms in the soil of your houseplant: the presence of spores or mycelia of fungi, rich soil, and a humid and warm environment. If you can change or remove one of them, you can prevent their growth. In the below infographic, you can see these factors.

• Soil Changing completely: in this way you have to remove total potted soil and replace it with infected soil.

 ➡ Warning: removing the whole soil around the roots will hit your potted plant. In addition, there isn’t any guarantee the white mushrooms won’t come back again. The hidden spores may have still stuck to roots and pot.

• Changing the topsoil: you can only remove the topsoil and replace it with uninfected soil. It can be safer for your houseplant. However, they will grow again but if you repeat and repeat it, you will see notable results.
• Pull the white mushrooms by hand and discard them: take off them completely or only cut their caps. It helps you to remove their spore’s source and prevent reinfesting.
• Drenching the soil with fungicides: this can be an expensive way with dangerous impacts on your family and pets. In addition, there isn’t any guarantee that you will win in killing all mycelia and spores. Hence, they may pop up again on your houseplant soil.
• Change their environmental condition: as you know they love rich soils with warm and humid conditions. Hence, they cannot grow in poor soils with less moisture and cooler temperatures.

 ➡ Warning: The favourite condition for your houseplant is as same as the white mushrooms. Changing the favourite condition of the mushroom growing in your potted plant will hit your plant too.

if you need more detail, I recommend reading my other article “How to get rid of mushrooms in houseplants“.

Second Step: Prevent White Mushrooms in Houseplant Soil 

To prevent growing white mushrooms in your houseplant you should review how they can enter your home. So, you should consider about them for example:

• Try to buy uninfected soils
• If you aren’t sure about your soil, do soil sterilization in your house. Click here to find out more about soil sterilization at home.
• Avoid overwatering. It’s not only caused by growing the white mushrooms in your houseplant, can increase the risk of root rot and your plant death. 

Conclusion

Now you found out about the white mushrooms growing in your houseplant, their habit and ways of getting rid of them. You found out they are beneficial for growing your houseplant but can be toxic if you or your pet eat them.

Now, what is your strategy for them? Do you want to leave them to do their things or decide to remove them? Why do you want to remove them? Do you think which of the above treatments will work well? Do you have any experience in contact with these mushrooms? Please share your ideas and experiences with our readers below.

Please feel free to ask me your questions below this page. I will answer them as soon as possible.