GOM Update
Pleurotus citrinopileatus (Golden Oyster mushroom or just “GOM”) has been in the news since my earlier post. (Pretty, but Invasive, Mar 15, 2025). National, international, and local media are sounding the alarm. And researchers have provided hard, scientific data that bolsters concerns about this invasive species.
A published report by University of Wisconsin Pringle Lab researcher Aishwarya Veerabahu demonstrates that trees with GOM have only half the fungal diversity of trees without GOM. The report also graphically illustrates how GOM has been marching across North America. Although GOM hasn’t been reported in the wild in Oregon, the report suggests that climate change may render the Pacific Northwest a good habitat for GOM. You can download the report by clicking here.
There are things you can do to prevent/delay the spread of this mushroom. They include:
- Don’t cultivate GOM
- If you buy mushroom grow-kits and blocks, patronize businesses who don’t sell GOM. And politely encourage others to remove GOM from their inventory. In a recent webinar, Veerabahu reported several examples of providers who’ve done that.
References
Fortin, This Golden Fungus Is Spreading Wildly in North America’s Forests. New York Times, July 16, 2005.
Madi, An unstoppable mushroom is tearing through North American forests. Fungi enthusiasts are doing damage control. March 26, 2026.
Hale, ‘Aggressive’ invasive mushroom is spreading across America, leaving path of destruction in its wake. Oregonian, March 27, 2026.
Veerabahu, Banik, Lindner, Pringle & Jusino, Invasive golden oyster mushrooms are disrupting native fungal communities as they spread throughout North America, Current Biology, Volume 35, Issue 16 p3994-4002.e4 (August 18, 2025)