A 2,200 Acre Mushroom in Eastern Oregon

That’s one big fungus.

What is probably the largest living organism on earth has been discovered in the Malheur National Forest in eastern Oregon. A fungus living three feet underground is estimated to cover 2,200 acres. After testing samples from various locations, scientists say it is all one organism.

Officially known as Armillaria ostoyae, or the honey mushroom, the fungus is 3.5 miles across and takes up 1,665 football fields. The small mushrooms visible above ground are only the tip of the iceberg.

Comments

Jon says:

And there was that X-Files episode where Mulder and Scully got trapped by the giant underground fungus that slowly digested people. Jeez, stay away from Malheur! 🙂

yoleen says:

I remember reading about this fungus a few years ago. Nice to hear it’s still growing.
And that was an excellent episode of X-Files. One of my favorites.

Rick Kemp says:

Snapple Caps don’t lie!

I discovered this “Little shroom” factoid on the underside of a “Sn_pple” peach iced tea bottlecap. I just had to look it up on the web…
“THAT’S A LOTTA SHROOM BABY”!
“THAT’S ONE BIG_SS ‘FUN GUY’ “.
…and so on…

benji says:

yessir thank you snapple.

Mel says:

Also here due to a Snapple Cap. Snapple caps don’t lie!

hyperionred says:

Also here b/c of Snapple cap. Hooray for shrooms!

Daniel_Tiger says:

Damn foO! that peach snapple is fuxin goOd!! and its educational…
oh ya, im here because of it toO!

Anonymous says:

snapple caps, where do they find this stuff?

Wodah says:

Yea, Snapple Cap here also…

mkoneno says:

snaple cap -bannana snaple this is amazing

breno1919 says:

Real Fact from Snapple is REAL. I love reading those caps. Colleges across America should get together with Snapple and make a manditory “Did you know this???” class. You just listen and look at strange pictures and are assigned no homework.

tess says:

OMFG ! i got this from the Snapple Caps. summer peach 😛 but thats a fcukin awesome mushroom ! =]

kim says:

omg thats amazing, the snapple drinking community coming together to learn more about this amazing mushroom. peach iced tea snapple owns. xD.

Patti says:

Here too because of Snapple. That mushroom is awesome.

Chris says:

Here cause the damn Snapple, lemon “Real Fact #340”

Willy says:

How about that… Thanks Snapple

Eeeeee says:

Those snapple caps keep going and going and going. I thought it to crazee to be true, but whadya noooo? There’s a fungus amungus! Theres the makings for one HUGE salad

bongzilla says:

so, who among you are man enough to go down there and eat that sucker? thats one hell of a trip, well more likely a huge liver problem, but even more likley we should plan our funerals before we try this.

tamara says:

wow! Here becuz of Snapple too!! My b-fren called said, “guess what..there’s this mushroom that aahh..is pretty big right…and aahhh..yeah it’s like 3 miles!” LOL read on..and went to google! OH SNAP! And babe, there are plenty mushrooms for my breakfast egg-omelet! thx! SNAP-ON!!

Martymaus says:

Peach Snapple is GOOOOOOD!

manuke says:

Snapple cap also, diet raspberry tea… Anyone have any pictures of this thing?

Nick says:

Snapple fact – diet lemon

HoopDaddy says:

So, I’m eating dinner in front of my laptop having a diet peach Snapple… Is this the part where we all start making a giant mushroom out of our mashed potatoes? (Close Encounters reference for you youngn’s).

Giddeo says:

Wtf is Snapple?
What gets me is that your boyfriend called you, just to tell you about a fact he read on a snapple cap? 😐
Maybe thats it, I’ve just got to talk to these women about anything and everything that happens to me in every day life, right down to the facts on sweets and drink cans…

Kelly says:

I never knew my home state was so odd! Thanks Snapple Diet Peach Tea.

andrea says:

here cause of snapple 2! mother nature sure does have a sense of humor!!!

andrea says:

this is one fun guy to be with 😉

Brent says:

Snapple cap as well.

Jennifer says:

Hear because of my Bathroom Reader. Factoid on the bottom page.

Holy cow…that is one huge mushroom! 😮

Xylona says:

My mother told me just now as wea ere talking about mushrooms on the phone, and so here I am, she said it is bigger than she thought (she just told me to add that, lol) Wonder if it is the mushroom Moulder found, lol.

Derek says:

bathroom reader too lol, im gonna get me some snapple

Barry says:

Unfortunatly,not here cos of snapple….I read one of those “Ussless Information” deallys on some site and decided too look to see if it was true.
But snapple caps tell no lies!

Andrew says:

Saw it on a snapple cap and couldn’t believe it… that is one nasty big mushroom!

Josh says:

yea my school planner has random facts about this world on every weekly page…and i saw this so i just had to look it up…

Greg says:

i found this in my school planner also…i think that the guy above me is from the same school

Kirsten says:

Yeah its on my school planner, too… wow. 🙂

Sarah says:

I saw this in my high school assignment notebook! i just couldn’t believe it, i had to look it up.

Zach says:

It’s on the assignment notebook at our middle school so, here we are!!! BTW we like snapple 2

Megan says:

It’s amazing how many people are here because they thought this fact was too outrageous. I am one of them- came from the snapple website lol.

nate says:

wft im from england its soooo wakk man i want snapple an fun stuff like dat, we dont geet non of these things jus boring twix an cola an crap man im sick of it here i always see wat u peeps ave got an u got it lucky man u got some earth quakes an shit but c,mon u get all the best stuff, i had a lizzard drink once it had a lil fact in that it was of course american, the fack made me happy! the drink has gon so no more facts i am not happy, peace n8

scarlett says:

here because of snapple too!

chris says:

whats with the snapple

pjc says:

I read about this in an Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader. For some reason I didn’t think fungi were considered “alive”, but that’s apparently false.

stella says:

yep, snapple, green tea.

payhim5292 says:

Also here cause of Snapple White Tea. Fact #340

m says:

fricken mushroom
now i owe my friend a chocolate bar

m says:

and shudup with the goddamn snapple

low_weezy says:

Snapple white tea = crack
Yo snapple caps r the fukin truth

bigguy says:

Wow! That’s just fungi amazing!
Snapple’s Green Tea led me here too!
Take that “m”!

Jeanene says:

Well I can’t say I’m here because of snapple, but my mom did get some Fun Facts junk mail today about the states..I didn’t believe it so I looked it up! Rock on giant shroom!

Steph says:

Snapple White Tea (green apple) brought me to this fun fact:) Now I have another useless trivia question in my brain.

Sandy says:

Snapple capper.

Matt says:

Snapple = Crack lol, Here because of snapple.

me says:

Shibby…here cause of snapple too!! Nectarine White tea…hmmmmm

Jamie says:

Here because of snapple as well…maybe a mushroom flavored snapple is in order to pay homage to this massive fungus among us.

Nsider says:

*drinking snapple – looks under cap*
O RLY?
*comes here*
WOAH IT’S TRUE!!! ZOMG!!212;ojsdfshifta1`1

jstew says:

lol.. snapple cap got me too, very interesting

lauren says:

i live in oregon and i didnt even know this!!
…it was a pink lemonade snapple. :]

Snapple Immunity Punch, and looking at how many of us are here because of Snapple caps, Maybe I should get a life or, start a site dedicated to snapple cap trivia. Either way that’s a big friggin shroom!!!

Sam says:

I hate mushrooms!!!! I have microphobia but ding dang yall thats just neeto.

Cmarie says:

Here cuz xfiles episode “Field Trip”

Glenda says:

who really gives an apes f–king ass?

shibby307 says:

snapple.. bringing you the same useless facts for over 4 years.

LAURA says:

DIET GREEN TEA SNAPPLE!!

barber says:

I Am Here because of the 6500 cool facts app on itunes

Taylor says:

Here because of 6500 facts app on iPhone

Condomonium says:

im here cus of the itunes app also on my itouch o.o

Mojo says:

Three miles…and its alive!! O.o Crazy s#!t Here cuz of the itouch app. as well

Poncival says:

Cool facts on the iPhone, I got to 500 something before I saw one I was determined to look up. I wonder if this thing will grow bigger forever and if it’s “magic” he he

Chris says:

I’m here because of 4chan. Go figure.

Elle says:

Here because of cool facts app as well…. But now really craving some snapple.