The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi

By: Aishwarya Veerabahu, University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 14, 2025

Words: 1,299

Last Updated: 1 hour, 16 minutes ago

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By Aishwarya Veerabahu, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Golden oyster mushrooms, with their sunny yellow caps and nutty flavor, have become wildly popular for being healthy, delicious and easy to grow at home from mushroom kits.

But this food craze has also unleashed an invasive species into the wild, and new research shows it’s pushing out native fungi.

In a 2025 study we believe is the first of its kind, fellow mycologists and I demonstrate that …

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