Royal Trip: Psychedelic mushroom found in the Queen's garden at Buckingham Palace
Digital Reporter
Friday, December 12, 2014, 11:22 AM - Talk about a royal trip! A mushroom with hallucinogenic properties was found growing at Buckingham Palace after being discovered by gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh.
The Amanita muscaria was found growing wild in the extensive palace gardens during preparations for a television Christmas special.
The Amanita muscaria mushroom, commonly known as fly agaric or fly mushroom, is a white and red toadstool, with hallucinogenic properties.
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The mushroom's hallucinogenic properties have long been known and it has commonly been used in rituals.
Titchmarsh told The Sun he was surprised to come across the plants while working on the Queen's Garden.
Amanita muscaria (Wikipedia, Creative Commons)
"That was a surprise but it shows just how varied the species are," he said.
Palace officials said Friday there are several hundred species of mushrooms growing in the palace gardens, including a number of naturally occurring Amanita muscaria.
The mushroom can be beneficial to many types of trees, but can be poisonous for humans.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "There are several hundred fungi species in the palace garden, including a small number of naturally occurring fly agaric mushrooms.
"As the programme explains, they are beneficial to trees, increasing their ability to take in nutrients."
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Royal officials say mushrooms from the garden are not used in the palace kitchens. With files from Mirror Online, The Associated Press
