Bog Beacon

The Bog Beacon is a matchstick-like fungus, that can grow up to 5cm tall. The head is yellow or orangey-yellow, variable in shape, from club-shaped to cylindrical, to unevenly rounded or oval, which is held atop a white stem.

This little fungus is found in damp ditches, slow moving streams, sphagnum patches, bogs, swamps and in the shallow margins of some lakes. It grows on plant debris and rotting twigs and leaves. It can be seen from early spring to late summer.

The Bog Beacon is the natural world’s recycler. It feeds on rotting leaves and stems, breaking down dead plant litter. It plays a vital role in driving the carbon cycle, by releasing nutrients it doesn’t need, back into the habitat.

It is only occasional in Britain.

found on the dead remains of higher plants, mosses and algae, this species is usually found in areas of seeping water. Thus