I found a morel - just one - in my backyard today. I live in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (above the 60th parallel in Canada's arctic but below the treeline). I was pulling weeds in my gravel backyard when I saw it sticking up through the gravel beside the fence. I know nothing about mushrooms except morels. There was a big burn about 8 years ago 30 km from here and hundreds of people came from all over to pick morels the next summer. Plus I buy them in bulk when I go to Vancouver.
Anyways, I have no idea why this one morel was there growing up through the gravel. The area has never burned, it's right next to my propane tank (that heats the house), also next to a wood fence and behind a snowmachine being stored in my yard. There were a few 'other' mushrooms around it. Whiteish looking messy things. Behind the fence grow a lot of willow trees (not the weeping kind). The weather has been wet lately - which is abnormal for here - we're a semi desert climate.
I guess I am wondering - is this normal? Are morels unpredictable?
Morels are extremely unpredictable--it's part of their charm!
The opposite end of the spectrum would be the young couple who had these really wierd things growing in the flower bed of their new house--in Los Angeles!!
They went on the net to investigate and found 1 Morel Mushroom Lane, looked at the photos and realized they had Morels!
