Glow-in-the-Dark Mushrooms Are Totally Real

Some mushrooms are bioluminescent and glow in the dark. This phenomenon, called foxfire, is a result of a chemical reaction between luciferin and luciferase, similar to how fireflies glow.

Imagine walking through a forest at night and spotting soft green lights scattered across fallen logs and damp earth. That’s not magic — it’s foxfire at work!

Scientists believe around 80 species of mushrooms can glow, though the light is often subtle and easier to spot in very dark, damp places.

One of the brightest is Panellus stipticus, which can glow so strongly that it’s visible without any special equipment.

Ancient people once used foxfire to light their paths at night, calling it "fairy fire" because of its enchanting glow.

The glow isn’t just for show — researchers think it may help attract insects that spread mushroom spores, similar to how flowers attract bees.

The chemical reaction inside glowing mushrooms is a lot like the one that powers fireflies: luciferin (the fuel) meets luciferase (the spark), and poof — you get natural light!

If you’ve ever seen glow sticks, it’s a similar idea — only mushrooms figured it out millions of years before humans did.