It looks harmless. Clusters of honey-brown mushrooms sit on a tree stump. A forager might see a dream. Then the fine print gets read. Honey fungus is a parasitic fungus. It causes root rot in trees. It produces clusters of honey-brown mushrooms with a ring on the stalk. Dark scales cover the cap. The gills are white to pale yellow. They are crowded and attached to the stem. The whole thing smells sweet. Like honey. Hence the name. The scent is deceptive. The mycelium spreads for long distances underground. It forms black rhizomorphs. These are known as bootlaces. They can travel metres through the soil to infect new trees. A single colony can cover hectares. A single colony can kill a forest. The scale is vast. The damage is cumulative. It operates below the surface. Visibility is low. Impact is high. It is a serious pest in orchards and gardens. Apple trees suffer. Pear trees suffer. Ornamental cherries are not safe. Nothing is safe. Once honey fungus establishes, it is almost impossible to remove. The bootlaces persist in the soil for years. They wait for a new host. Patience is its primary weapon. Removal requires effort. Success is rare. Edible, technically. The mushrooms are edible when cooked. But some people experience digestive upset. The mushrooms are easily confused with toxic species. Most foragers leave it alone. The risk is not worth the reward. Caution is the standard response. Identification is tricky. The consequences of error are unpleasant. In New Zealand, honey fungus is common in gardens, parks, and exotic forests. It attacks introduced trees. It mostly leaves native species alone. Native trees evolved without it. They have some resistance. The oaks and birches and apples do not. The disparity is clear. Introduced species are vulnerable. Native species endure. The balance is skewed. The Māori name is not recorded. It is another introduced fungus. It arrived in imported soil or tree roots. It brought its bootlaces with it. The introduction was accidental. The establishment was thorough. It fits into the new landscape. It exploits the weaknesses of imported flora. The native forest remains largely untouched. The garden is the battlefield. That is honey fungus. Sweet-smelling. Deadly to trees. Almost impossible to remove. A mushroom that looks like a gift and acts like a curse. The duality is sharp. The appearance invites collection. The reality demands avoidance. It carries on. The rhizomorphs spread. The trees fall. The cycle repeats. No one told it otherwise.