Common Earthball
Scleroderma citrinum
Family: SclerodermataceaeNative: Globally distributed, common in Europe and Northern AmericaIdentified: Oct 22, 2025
The Common Earthball is a firm, roundish fungus with a tough, yellowish-brown outer skin that is typically covered in small, irregular scales or warts. When young, the interior flesh is pale, but it darkens to a purplish-black, powdery spore mass as it matures. It lacks gills and a distinct stem, growing directly from the soil or leaf litter.
Learn more about Common Earthball in the encyclopedia →Care instructions
This is a wild fungus and not typically cultivated. It grows terrestrially, often in woods, heathland, and along paths, usually in association with trees (mycorrhizal). Not suitable for home cultivation as a garden plant.