How to Kill a Stinkhorn Fungus

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Last Updated: February 21, 2024 Approved

The so-called stinkhorn fungus is in fact a type of mushroom. There are various stinkhorns that comprise the Phallaceae and Clathraceae families.^{[1]
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Research source} The most common type is a thin, pale mushroom with a bulbous head. If you have stinkhorns on your property, you can kill them by uprooting the mushrooms or killing them with bleach or lime. However, before attempting to kill the mushrooms, consider that it may be smarter and easier to leave the fungi alone. The stinkhorns are not poisonous, and they are nearly impossible to kill. Mushrooms may come back even after the most aggressive attempts to kill them. Stinkhorns can be beneficial to the soil of your garden, and tend to only stick around for a few days anyway.^{[2]
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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Uprooting Stinkhorn Fungus

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Dig out the mushroom from its base. Don’t simply clip off the above-ground portion of the mushroom; you’ll need to dig beneath it until you’ve scooped out the mushroom’s egg-shaped base. Also dig under any nearby round white egg-shaped growths, as these are going to be new stinkhorns soon.^{[3]
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Research source} Secure the foul smelling removed material in a plastic bag.
- If you don’t want to get your hands dirty (and smelly) from the stinkhorn, put on a pair of cheap latex disposable gloves. Put these in an airtight plastic bag and throw them away immediately after you finish killing the mushrooms.
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Remove the immediate soil. There may be spores or other undeveloped mushrooms in the soil immediately surrounding the mushroom you’ve removed, so dig up the top layer of soil in about a 6-inch radius around the mushroom you’ve removed. If the fungus grew in a medium other than soil—such as tree bark, mulch, or other loose decaying plant material—remove this using the shovel as well.^{[4]
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- Place the excavated soil (or other material) in the plastic bag along with the stinkhorn fungus. Then, seal the bag firmly shut.
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Place the bag out for trash collection. Do not place the discarded fungal matter with yard waste, since, if the bag were to rupture or open, spores could escape and create new mushrooms.
- After these steps, if mushrooms begin to reoccur, you may need to apply a chemical agent.
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Spray the area with an environmentally approved fungal killer. This will make sure that the mushroom and surrounding spores are truly dead. After applying the fungal killer spray as directed on the packaging, allow the affected area to receive sunlight and dry out. The spray should also keep recurrence to a minimum.
- You should be able to find a safe, nontoxic fungal killer spray at your local plant nursery or gardening center.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Killing Stinkhorn Fungus with Bleach or Lime

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Mix boiling hot water and bleach. Begin this process in your kitchen by boiling the water in a large saucepan on your stovetop. Then, in your yard or garage, pour in bleach.^{[5]
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Research source} Add roughly the same amount of bleach as you did of water (e.g. 4 cups of each) so that they’re mixed at a 1:1 ratio.
- When working with bleach, make sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind ruining, since the bleach will remove color from any fabric it splashes onto. Also consider wearing eye protection (such as safety goggles) to avoid the risk of splashing bleach into your eyes.
- Be aware that removing mushrooms using bleach or lime will likely harm—and possibly kill—other plants in the area. The chemicals will also damage your soil.
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Pour the mixture onto the fungus. Do this while the water is still hot; do not wait for the solution to cool down.^{[6]
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Research source} The combination of boiling hot water and potent bleach should be enough to kill any lingering stinkhorns, and prevent new mushrooms from growing in the soil.
- If you choose to first dig up the mushrooms before you apply bleach, simply pour the hot bleach solution over the entire area from which you dug up the stinkhorns.
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Sprinkle lime over the mushrooms and surrounding soil. If you haven’t had success removing stinkhorn mushrooms, lime will help by making the soil uninhabitable for the fungus. Using a shovel or trowel, spread the lime over the patch of soil that has been producing stinkhorn fungi.^{[7]
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Research source} Lime is a caustic substance, so be careful when handling it.
- You should be able to purchase lime at a local hardware store, plant nursery, or gardening center.
- Before applying the lime to the soil, read the instructions printed on the package. You may need to first dampen the soil before laying down lime.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Identifying Stinkhorn Fungus

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Smell the mushroom. If you’re dealing with a stinkhorn, this probably won’t take a lot of effort. stinkhorns are known to be a noxious fungus, and their smell can be likened to that of feces or a dead and decaying animal.^{[8]
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- Although the stinkhorns may smell offensive, they are not poisonous to humans or pets. Stinkhorn fungi will not harm your pets or any other plants in their vicinity.
- Stinkhorns use their unpleasant smell to attract flies. Flies land on the mushroom, pick up spores on their legs and bodies, and distribute these sports wherever they fly. So, if you notice a large number of flies around a specific mushroom, you may be dealing with a stinkhorn.
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Look for moist or mulch-covered terrain. If you suspect you’re dealing with a stinkhorn, confirm that the environment it’s growing in correlates with a type stinkhorns prefer. Although stinkhorn mushrooms prefer moist areas and patches of ground covered in mulch, they can pop up in many types of terrains.^{[9]
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Research source} Like all fungus, stinkhorns can also sprout out of the wood of dead and decaying trees.
- Varieties of stinkhorn fungus grow naturally throughout nearly all of North America and into Central America. Some varieties prefer subtropical and tropical regions, including parts of Mexico.^{[10]
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Inspect the mushroom. The most common type of stinkhorn fungus (‘’Phallus ravenelii’’) has a pale white stalk and a phallic shape. The mushroom typically stands between 10–15 cm (4–6 inches) high, and the cap at its tip ranges in diameter from 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 inches). The cap itself is slimy and dark brown, with a coarse texture. The mushroom’s long, cream-colored stem has a spongy texture.^{[11]
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- At the very tip of a stinkhorn mushroom’s brown cap, there is a white ring-like circle with an opening at the tip.
There are over 25 types of stinkhorn fungi that live in North America. Most, like ‘’Phallus ravenelii’’, have a thin stalk with a bulbous, slimy head which bears the spores. Colors can vary, and many stinkhorns are pink or reddish in color. Shape and size of the mushrooms can also vary. Most mushrooms range from 2–6 cm (0.8–2.4 inches), although some species grow as tall as 15 cm (6 inches).^{[12]
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This Stinkhorn keeps coming back to my flower bed every year. This flower bed is in full sun light. There is mulch around the flowers. Should I remove the mulch and start fresh? How do I prevent it from coming back? It is only in that one flower bed. Help!

Community Answer

You may need to remove the mulch and soil surrounding the stinkhorn, yes. Even if you've removed individual mushrooms, their spores can still survive and grow in the surrounding mulch and soil.

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I have had serious sinus issues since the stinkhorns have first shown up through the mulch. Are they poisonous? Very embarrassing fungus to grow in our yard.

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It's not uncommon for mushrooms to cause allergic reactions (similar to a mold allergy) when eaten or smelled. However, the mushrooms are not poisonous.

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I had my mulch redone and all of these things dug up. They are back somewhere under the mulch. Will a fungicide do anything as I don't know where they are under the mulch until they come through

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It might be worth trying a fungicide, if you don't want to disturb your mulch. On the other hand, the fungicide will probably be more effective if applied directly to the soil or mushrooms. You may even need to remove some of the soil beneath the mulch, since it's likely filled with mushroom spores.

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Comprehension Quiz

What is the most common type of stinkhorn fungus?

A pale mushroom with a bulbous head.

A dark brown mushroom with a smooth cap.

A pink or reddish mushroom with a slimy head.

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Tips

Before applying lime or bleach to the soil, rake away any mulch, bark, pine needles, or other detritus away from the area. Apply the bleach solution or the lime directly onto the soil.

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Warnings

If you have small children in your house or neighborhood, make sure to keep them away from the bleach and water solution.

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If you decide to remove the fungus with the boiling mixture of water and bleach, be careful not to burn yourself with the mixture.

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