‘Tis All Hallows’ Eve and all round the globe
the spirits are rising to roam and to probe,
to spook and to scare,
while you wonder ‘Who’s there?’

With their white colour and partial resemblance to the classic ‘white sheet over the head with holes for eyes’ ghost imitation, these fungi I found on Wednesday in a local park seem particularly appropriate for Halloween. These are White saddle (Helvella crispa), fungi that grow at this time of year in damp soil in deciduous woodland, often alongside paths, which is exactly where I found these.

I was checking fallen leaves in a woodland clearing when I noticed something white poking through the leaves, a lucky break as it’s easy to miss these lovely little fungi. I had to clear away leaves to get these photos, but then mostly covered them up again.

These are typical examples of White saddle (Helvella crispa), one of several species of ‘saddle’ fungi you can find in woodlands, these particular saddles growing most often where there are Beech trees.

According to the First Nature website, ‘Helvella is an ancient term for an aromatic herb. The specific epithet crispa comes from Latin and means curled or wrinkled – a reference to the contorted cap or saddle’.