BCAT News

State Senator Cindy Friedman, whose district includes Burlington, has proposed legislation to make the giant puffball mushroom the official fungi of Massachusetts after a local student encouraged her to pursue the matter. 

“Recognitions of official state items can help inform the public on lesser known or underappreciated items that make great contributions to Massachusetts, like the giant puffball mushroom,” Friedman said in an email.

The giant puffball, or calvatia gigantea, is white and smooth, and can grow more than a foot in diameter. The interior of the mushroom contains its spores, and as the spores grow and mature, the exterior breaks open, allowing the spores to be dispersed in the wind. 

“It looks kind of like a giant marshmallow,” said Harvard University mycologist Donald Pfister. Pfister is the academic sponsor and advisor to the Boston Mycological Club, a group of fungus enthusiasts who hunt and cook wild mushrooms. Pfister said he supports the idea of the giant puffball as the Massachusetts mushroom. 

“The giant puffball is a good, steady choice,” he said.

Friedman originally proposed the legislation in 2019 on the recommendation of Arlington High School student Liam Nokes, who has since graduated and is studying mycology at Dartmouth College. 

“The giant puffball I started noticing when I was on runs for the Arlington High School cross country team,” Nokes said. “It was amazing to me how accessible it was to me even just running past, and that’s what gave me the idea.” 

Nokes said he thought the giant puffball would be a good state mushroom because of its distinct size and appearance. He proposed the idea to Friedman, who has been attempting to pass it ever since. 

“It’s been a long push, a long haul, and I really think that state recognition of fungi is past due,” Nokes said. 

Three states – in Minnesota, Oregon and Texas – have established official state mushrooms, in 1984, 1999 and 2021 respectively.