Late autumn rainfalls and warmer fronts produced ideal mushroom conditions. Bear’s Tooth and maitake being some found every year, (though bear’s tooth is rare enough to incite much joy!) the rare beauty this year is the Flame Shield mushroom. Having never seen this specific mushroom before, a bit of research ensued immediately. A quick search revealed this mushroom is VERY rare! Due to its bright color, it is known that it isn’t due to it being overlooked in the forest, rather it just doesn’t pop up all that often. Some mushroom experts have gone decades in search of one and still haven’t had the opportunity to see one in its natural habitat. Not known for its edibility, as it has some reported distress in consumers, and mild toxicity, and lacks enough substantial flesh to constitute a sought after edible, more importantly it is so rare it would be a shame to harvest it.