Beneath Oregon’s Blue Mountains, a single honey fungus has been spreading through the roots of the forest for thousands of years, now covering nearly 10 square kilometres. Mostly hidden underground an
Space Daily • • science
Key Points:
- A single honey fungus (Armillaria ostoyae) in Oregon's Malheur National Forest covers nearly 10 square kilometers underground, making it one of the largest living organisms on Earth by area.
- Discovered in 1988 and genetically confirmed as a single individual in 2003, this fungus spreads through root-to-root contact, killing trees as it expands via underground mycelium and rhizomorphs.
- Estimates suggest the fungus is between 1,900 and 8,650 years old, based on its spread rate, with a mass possibly ranging from several thousand to 35,000 tonnes, though these figures are approximate.
- While often called the largest living organism, it competes with other contenders like a vast seagrass clone in Australia and the Pando aspen clone in Utah, with rankings depending on measurement criteria.
- The key distinction is that all these organisms are single genets—genetically identical and physically connected clones—highlighting the complexity in defining what constitutes one individual organism.