Fairy rings: The Folklore and the Science

"WILDLIFE WEDNESDAY"

The Folklore and the Science of Fairy Rings

Recurring Fairy Ring Snead, Al
 

Common Name:     Fairy ring, Elf ring, Fairy circle, Elf circle, Pixie ring, etc.

Scientific Name :    Hocus pocus nonsenseicus  

The magical fairy ring, where elves, fairies, pixies, and the like come to dance and play.  Through much of European history fairy rings have been a part of much folklore.  Once viewed as an off-limits area for us mere humans,  the reality behind these rings is a little less mystical than tales of dragons and tiny magical beings, but the science behind this interesting phnomenon is still pretty cool.  

 A  little science behind fairy rings

What causes them?

These imaginative circles are the result of a particular pattern of mycelium growth. Mycelium is the underground organism that produces the reproductive fruit bodies that we know as mushrooms. This relationship is sometimes explained by comparison to an apple tree. If we think of mushrooms as apples, then the mycelium is the tree from which they fruit.In this analogy the tree is underground, but you get the idea. ;)In the case of a ring, the mycelium starts as a single point and grows in a circular shape. It continues to push outwards in an attempt to consume more nutrients. As it exhausts the nutrients on the inside of the circle, it will widen further and further as it looks for a new food source.This process results in an ever-growing circle, that doesn't start to grow back inwards or cross over on itself because there's no new food on the inside of the circle. The mycelium may have started at one point, but soon it has nowhere to go but in an outwardly, circular direction.

Although not uncommon, fairy rings don't just happen anywhere. Multiple factors influence this circular growth pattern, including soil type and condition, amount of nutrients in the soil, obstructions underground, and dirt composition. The ground needs to be even and well composed, a reason why you'll often see them pop up on lawns.

The chance exists that you've seen more fairy rings than you realize. Although we only notice them when they produce mushrooms, the circular mycelium underground is always there and growing. 

There are about 60 different species of mushrooms that produce fairy rings; Marasmius oreades, Agricus campestris, Lycoperdon spp., and Scleroderms spp. being the most common.

 Now that I have sucked the fun out of Fairy rings by being all sciency and stuff here are some fun facts:

• The rings will continue to grow over time, resulting in a pattern that can be thousands of feet wide, and hundreds of years old.

• One of the most impressive rings ever was found in France, and suspected to be about 2,000 feet (600 meters) wide and over 700 years old!

• Time, environmental factors, and animal droppings may replenish the nutrients in the center of the ring once it is wide enough. This can result in a second ring growing inside the first.

• Depending on the soil and the weather, a ring may expand radially from 3 to 19 inches per year.

• There are many other fun names for this phenomenon, including elf ring, pixie ring, and fairy circle.

Fairy Rings are still a part of folklore today and I feel that even though we understand the science behind them, they are sure to inspire the thoughts and imagination of generations to come.