When does the Mushroom Weekend in the Botanical Garden take place?

The exhibition is open daily from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the entrance to the greenhouses from October 1 to 4, 2026.

What is the cost of visiting the exhibition?

Admission to the exhibition is free.

Is there a guided tour of the exhibition?

On Thursday, October 1, 2026, a mushroom guided tour with Diana Härpfer will take place at 4:00 PM through the exhibition and the Botanical Garden.

What other events are part of the Mushroom Weekend?

On Saturday, October 3, there will be a species identification workshop. On Sunday, October 4, there will be a mushroom excursion in the Sebaldian Imperial Forest. Both offers cost 12 euros each and require registration.

Where is the venue located?

The exhibition is located at the entrance to the greenhouses of the Botanical Garden of Friedrich-Alexander-University, Loschgestraße 1, 91054 Erlangen.

Is the event suitable for cultural and natural science education?

Yes. The Botanical Garden is an extracurricular learning location and conveys knowledge about fungi, forest ecosystems, biodiversity, and sustainable natural cycles.

Discover Tree Polypores: Fascinating Nature Art in the Botanical Garden Erlangen

Name: Mushroom Weekend in the Botanical Garden
Start: 2026-10-01T09:30:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-04T15:30:00+02:00
Location: Botanischer Garten – Gewächshauseingang

Tree Polypores in the Botanical Garden: An Exhibition on Hidden Forest Architecture

From October 1 to 4, 2026, the entrance to the greenhouses of the Botanical Garden Erlangen will transform into an impressive learning and observation space for native mushroom species. The focus is on tree polypores – fascinating fruiting bodies that tell stories of old trees, decomposition, biodiversity, and the close relationship between fungi and their environment.

Diversity of Forms Between Wood, Light, and Color

The exhibition makes visible how differently fungi appear on trees. Their solid, bracket-shaped or hoof-like fruiting bodies exhibit an astonishing variety of forms and colors. In the exhibition atmosphere, the precise examination of natural history specimens combines with an aesthetic experience: surfaces, structures, and growth traces appear as independent sculptures in a vibrant installation.

The Dripping Larch Polypore and Its Transformative Appearance

Special attention is given to the Dripping Larch Polypore, scientifically known as Pseudoinonotus dryadeus. The young fruiting bodies are notable for the droplets of liquid on their surface and change their appearance during development. Thus, the exhibition opens a precise view of natural processes that often remain hidden in everyday life.

Chaga and Birch Polypore: Natural History with Cultural Memory

The chaga Fomes fomentarius grows on beeches and birches among others. Its large, dense fruiting bodies have accompanied humans for millennia, as tinder was made from them to start fires. The birch polypore Fomitopsis betulina forms light, bracket-shaped structures and is almost exclusively found on birches. Its cultural-historical significance dates back to the 5,300-year-old glacier mummy Ötzi, where pieces of this fungus were discovered.

Fungi as Motors of the Ecosystem

The exhibition provides insights into the ecological role of polypores. As important wood decomposers, they return nutrients bound in wood back into the natural cycle. Some species colonize weakened or old trees, while others develop on dead wood. Thus, the examination of individual fruiting bodies becomes an art-historically graceful yet scientifically precise study of cycles, time, and transience.

Guided Tour, Workshop, and Excursion

Accompanying the exhibition, Diana Härpfer will lead a tour of the exhibition and the Botanical Garden on Thursday, October 1, 2026. On Saturday, October 3, a species identification workshop will deepen the introduction to the world of fungi. A mushroom excursion in the Sebaldian Imperial Forest will conclude the program on Sunday, October 4. Both the workshop and the excursion cost 12 euros each and require registration with the Botanical Garden.

Conclusion: Discovering an Artistic Experience of Nature

The mushroom weekend in the Botanical Garden connects scientific expertise, cultural education, and immediate nature experience. Visitors will experience an exhibition where painting, sculpture, and installation serve as sensory comparisons for the forms of fungi, while ecological connections become comprehensible and vivid. Those wishing to discover the aesthetic power of native fungi and their significance for forest ecosystems should visit this exhibition live.