This is the reproductive time for lots of fungi. In many cases, it has more to do with the length of the day, rather than moisture levels. Your mushroom is the temporary fruiting body of that large network. It will soon open up and spread the spores.

There is a network of fungal mycelium and hyphae within your soil system, working hard to decompose organic matter. Many different species of mushrooms are beneficial in other ways, too, in that they will quite happily form a hugely beneficial relationship with the root system of many different kinds of plants. These relationships are called mycorrhizae.

Personally, I think that the best method of mushroom removal in a lawn is a pitching wedge. A 9-iron is fun, too. Not that you NEED to get rid of them, but it does present an opportunity for some silliness. Taking out the mushroom does not affect the hard work of the network of mycelium/hyphae whatsoever.

Thanks for the info BUT what kind of mushroom is this? Is it poisonous?

Chlorophyllum molybdites; poisonous. Large lawn mushroom that sometimes grows in fairy rings. Ron

wow thanks! glad I didnt eat it :)

My landlord who lived her before more talked about rings and actually joked about them being "fairy poop"...guess he was onto something!

Thankfully havent seen any since so maybe I plucked out the "mother"

what your landlord probably didnt tell you.. is that some large tree was taken down way back when.. and as the roots are rotting ... advantageous mushrooms are using them ...

you did not pick the mother.. lol ...

i did like the gold analogy though..

the other odd thing.. is the two types of grass.. it almost looks like a reseeding.. and i would bet.. if so.. that an unfinished compost was used as a soil conditioner .... and again.. there was some wood in it.. that is now rotting ...

lol.. mother killer..

ken