Bird’s Nest Fungi

Have you ever noticed these tiny bowl-like things filled with disc-shaped eggs in your garden? Don’t be alarmed because they are the good guys in your garden. These are a type of fungi collectively known Bird’s Cyathus or  Bird’s Nest Fungi.  Don’t try to collect them as mushrooms because these are inedible. These fungi are saprotrophs. They live on dead decomposing wood or manure. These tiny garden helpers keep decomposing the wood chips and stick to make your garden soil rich with nutrients. They are not considered harmful to humans and pets. They are sometimes also called Splash Cups because the egg-like structures in them can get washed off by sprinklers or raindrops. These disc-like eggs are filled with fungi spores. These spores are released when water falls on them and more fungi grow. I sometimes scrape some of these to throw them in my compost pile to accelerate the composting process.