35 Mushroom Quotes: Enter the Hidden Universe of Magical Fungi

As many scientists know, mushrooms are much more interesting, if not outright supernatural, than the average individual is aware of. Walk into a fairytale you never knew existed by reading the 35 quotes below.

Mushrooms have been used in many fantasy stories with a huge myth surrounding faeries and mushroom circles, mainly called fairy circles or naturally occurring rings of mushrooms.

Among the many superstitions, some believed or believe that these mushroom circles are a good luck symbol, while others think they can take us into a new dimension if we stand in the middle.

However, we don't need folklore to find magic in these fungi. For one, it is already quite mystical that around 80 mushroom types glow in the dark. If that isn't fascinating enough, mushrooms help trees communicate via webs under the ground called mycelium. To dive deeper into this magical world of fungi, read the following 35 quotes.

Michael Pollan’s quote: "Fungi constitute the most poorly understood and the underappreciated kingdom of life on Earth." | Image: AmoDays

Quotes on the Beauty and Function of Mushrooms

"Nature alone is antique, and the oldest art a mushroom." — Thomas Carlyle

"September is different from all other months. It is more magical. I feel the strange chemical change in the earth which produces mushrooms is the cause, too, of the extra 'life' in the air—a resilience, a sparkle." — Katherine Mansfield

"The sudden appearance of mushrooms after a summer rain is one of the more impressive spectacles of the plant world." — John Tyler Bonner

"From dead plant matter to nematodes to bacteria, never underestimate the cleverness of mushrooms to find new food!" — Paul Stamet

"I am... a mushroom; On whom the dew of heaven drops now and then." — John Ford

Thomas Carlyle’s quote: "Nature alone is antique, and the oldest art a mushroom." | Image: AmoDays

"If bacteria can be pictured as teeming black ants under the microscope, imagine fungi as gossamer spider webs. These organisms form long threads called hyphae that stretch between plant roots. Some form into even larger masses called mycelium that can span an entire backyard." ― Amy Stewart

"The rain increases and umbrellas sprout like mushrooms amongst the graves." — Erin Morgenstern

"Mushrooms grow in damp places. That's why they are shaped like an umbrella." — Alphonse Allias

"Mushrooms were the roses in the garden of that unseen world because the real mushroom plant was underground. The parts you could see —what most people called a mushroom —was just a brief apparition. A cloud flower." ― Margaret Atwood

"Fungi constitute the most poorly understood and the underappreciated kingdom of life on Earth." — Michael Pollan

Quotes Using Mushrooms for Advice and Metaphors

Christian Bale’s quote: "You have to treat yourself like a mushroom to some degree in order to keep on discovering things." | Image: AmoDays

"When God wants to make a mushroom, he does it overnight, but when he wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years. Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process." — Rick Warren

"Marriage is like mushrooms: we notice too late if they are good or bad." — Woody Allen

"If only one could tell true love from false love as one can tell mushrooms from toadstools." — Katherine Mansfield

"Falling in love is like eating mushrooms; you never know if it's the real thing until it's too late." — Bill Ballance

"You have to treat yourself like a mushroom to some degree in order to keep on discovering things." — Christian Bale

Woody Allen’s quote: "Marriage is like mushrooms: we notice too late if they are good or bad." | Image: AmoDays

"People like to keep their little secrets to themselves. It's like growing mushrooms in the cellar and running down to take a look at them now and then." — Marjorie Kellogg

"If you treat your employees like mushrooms (keep them in the dark and regularly throw [expletive] on them), it's entirely likely you will get precisely the work you deserve in return." — Seth Godin

"You must grow like a tree, not like a mushroom." — Janet Erskine Stuart

Quotes on the Benefits and Dangers of Mushrooms

"People are going to start realizing, why take those antibiotics that are extracts of mushrooms? Why not just have the mushrooms?" — David Wolfe

"Fungi are the grand recyclers of the planet and the vanguard species in habitat restoration." — Paul Stamets

Paul Stamets’ quote: "Mushrooms provide a vast array of potential medicinal compounds." | Image: AmoDays

"Vitamin D from mushrooms is not only vegan and vegetarian friendly, but you can prepare your own by exposing mushrooms to the summer sun." — Paul Stamets

"Consuming mushrooms regularly has been associated with decreased risk of breast, stomach, and colorectal cancers." — Joel Fuhrman

"Mushrooms provide a vast array of potential medicinal compounds." — Paul Stamets

Quotes on Cooking and Eating Mushrooms

"Well, a peach has a lovely taste, and so does a mushroom, but you can't put the two together." — Arthur Golden

"Mushrooms can be very fancy. It's the closest you can get to eating dirt." ― Tom Colicchio

Terry Pratchett’s quote: "All Fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." | Image: AmoDays

"Mushrooms are fungus, and fungus reminds me of feet, and I don't eat feet." — Soman Chainani

"A meal without mushrooms is like a day without rain." — John Cage

"All Fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." ― Terry Pratchett

A Myriad of Magical Mushroom Quotes

"…but I also can't prove that mushrooms could not be intergalactic spaceships spying on us." — Daniel Dennett

"I've always thought fairies are like mushrooms, you trip over them when you're not thinking about them, but they're hard to spot when you're searching for them." — Jo Walton

Daniel Dennett’s quote: "…but I also can't prove that mushrooms could not be intergalactic spaceships spying on us.” | Image: AmoDays

"The TSA must think we're mushrooms. You know, the way they are trying to keep us in the dark, and the way they keep feeding us a fertilizing agent that comes from the south end of a north-bound cow." — Douglas Wilson

"Kids are now eating things like edamame and sushi. I didn't know what shiitake mushrooms were when I was 10 —most kids today do." — Emeril Lagasse

"Discipline tops my list of most-hated things, followed closely by portobello mushrooms." — Jenny Mollen

"You're not a man; you're a mushroom!" — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"On the subject of wild mushrooms, it is easy to tell who is an expert and who is not: The expert is the one who is still alive." — Donal Henahan

Margaret Atwood’s quote: "Mushrooms were the roses in the garden of that unseen world because the real mushroom plant was underground. The parts you could see —what most people called a mushroom —was just a brief apparition. A cloud flower." | Image: AmoDays

If mushrooms haven't created enough magic on earth, there has been talk of them possibly helping us create liveable environments on other planets, at least according to mycologist Paul Stamets. Still, this is the tip of the iceberg, as mushrooms' benefits span everywhere, including physical health and possibly therapeutic assistance.

One of the most popular and aesthetically pleasing documentaries to come out of mycology in the last few years is the documentary film "Fantastic Fungi." It goes into more depth about the mindblowing world of mushrooms alongside stunning visuals.

If you don't have time for a full documentary, read these quotes on wondering, a guide to finding awe in everyday life beyond the magical properties of fungi.