Red hints of Autumn

As this long warm summer is slowly turning into autumn, the colors start to change as well. The trees are mostly still green but the signs of autumn are unmistakably there.

The mushroom season has begun. It hasn't rained as much as last year, but you can see mushrooms popping out everywhere!

For example this bright red fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) found in my backyard. It's probably one of the most iconic mushrooms, very common in popular culture (Super Mario mushrooms) and often depicted in children books (like the Smurf houses). It looks very cute but it's poisonous, it has hallucinating effects. So don't eat it! Remember: red means danger.

It was interesting to learn that, according to some studies, Vikings may have consumed this mushroom to gain their berserker rages.

Speaking of red, this tree is a typical presence during late summer. These are rowan (sorbus) trees, that produce beautiful small red fruits, which create a lovely contrast with the green of the foliage. The birds love to eat those little fruits even though they tast very sour.