What does the term “foxfire” bring to mind… an old series of books about Appalachian culture (or the movie based on them)? A real estate company? A campground? Or do you recognize it as the term for the eerie yet awesome greenish blue glow that certain fungi produce?

Wait… what?! Glow in the dark mushrooms?

Yes, really. And you can find them (and their magical “fairy fire”) right here in West Virginia.

There are at least 75 known species of bioluminescent fungus.
Ylem/Wikipedia
While many of them grow only in tropical climates, a few are widely distributed throughout North America and can be found growing on dead wood (making the wood "glow in the dark") in forests across the United States.
Noah Siegel/Wikipedia
Occasionally, this glow, or "foxfire," is even observed on mine timbers deep within the earth or on firewood right in the living room!
The glowing fungus growing on the wood emits a continuous blueish-greenish light that varies in strength from barely observable to bright enough to read by.
Alan Rockefeller/Wikipedia

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The first record of foxfire dates all the way back to Aristotle, who noted that it was unique because, unlike fire, it was cold to the touch.
Cas Liber - Cas Liber/Wikipedia
Foxfire has been used historically in fascinating ways, including to illumine the dials of a submarine built in the 1700s.
But, as cool as it is, it's a fairly rare sight.
lalalfdfa/Wikipedia
How else could so many of us not know about something this fascinating?!
There are several reasons for this: not all fungi glow at all seasons of the year, and even when they do, light pollution (including flashlights) makes observing the bioluminescence nearly impossible.
Glen Bowman/Flickr
But West Virginians should keep a sharp eye out for it!
ChattOconeeNF/Flickr
Conditions in our state are ideal for the growth of these magical fungi, and foxfire sightings have been reported year round in our woods.

Have you ever witnessed this magical sight? What time of year and where did you see it?

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