Allotment Ramaria stricta (likely) and Heterotrichia ferruginea (likely) – 22nd December 2025

The daughter & I were on an errand at the allotment – serendipity again.

We have a myxomycetes corner of natural dead wood and untreated construction offcuts, and we spotted these wonderful, translucent, flesh-pink sporangia.

A small cluster of likely Heterotrichia ferruginea sporangia growing on a decaying wood pile at the allotment.
Possibly Heterotrichia ferruginea
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 22nd December 2025
Close-up of the Heterotrichia ferruginea sporangial cluster.
Possibly Heterotrichia ferruginea
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 22nd December 2025
Closer view of the likely Heterotrichia ferruginea sporangial cluster.
Possibly Heterotrichia ferruginea
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 22nd December 2025
Side-on view of the likely Heterotrichia ferruginea sporangial cluster.
Possibly Heterotrichia ferruginea
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 22nd December 2025
Close-up side-on view of flesh-pink slime mould sporangia, likely Heterotrichia ferruginea, growing on moist wood.
Possibly Heterotrichia ferruginea
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 22nd December 2025

I think that these are Heterotrichia ferruginea and the serendipity was that we would later on this day head to Strumpshaw Fen and find what we believe was the same slime mould at this very same early stage!

And then, too our amazement, we spotted a (likely) Ramaria stricta fruiting body – at the allotment of all places 🤯

Likely Ramaria stricta fruiting body at the allotment.
Likely Ramaria stricta
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 22nd December 2025
Close-up view of the likely Ramaria stricta fruiting body.
Likely Ramaria stricta
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 22nd December 2025
Closer view of the likely Ramaria stricta fruiting body.
Likely Ramaria stricta
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 22nd December 2025

We next visited the allotment in the new year on a frosty January morning and discovered that another Ramaria fruiting body had grown nearby the first.

Two likely Ramaria stricta fruiting bodies at the allotment.
Likely Ramaria stricta
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 11th January 2026

The Ramaria below was is the one we spotted in December. It had matured to buff and orange-yellow, though much of it was showing signs of decay and had darkened to a fuscous colour where frost was settling that morning.

Close-up view of the first likely Ramaria stricta fruiting body.
Likely Ramaria stricta
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 11th January 2026

The photo below shows the other Ramaria that had fruited after we spotted the first back in December. It was mostly orange-yellow with some small fuscous sections.

Close-up view of the second likely Ramaria stricta fruiting body.
Likely Ramaria stricta
Bluebell Allotments, Norwich – 11th January 2026