Mushroom the Size of a Soccer Ball Found in New Hampshire Backyard

Massive amounts of rainfall in the Northeast this summer have created a perfect storm of sprouting mushrooms.

Hence the discovery of a gargantuan, bulbous mass in the backyard of a home in Londonderry, New Hampshire, that looks more like a brown blob than a puffball mushroom.

The leathery, yucky-looking fungi example was found by Christine Hamilton, who posted it to social media, where it became the subject of local news stories.

Record-setting amounts of rain that have deluged New England states and points south have given rise to mushrooms, which delight in damp, dark environments.

The variety known as puffballs are safe to eat as long as they are small and pure white, according to horticulturists. But brown, large ones should be avoided.

Puffballs do not have stems or caps, unlike most mushrooms. They grow only on the ground and usually appear in the fall.

The largest puffball ever recorded was eight feet in diameter and weighed a hefty 48 pounds.

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