Q/A #145 - A Fungus Among Us Nepenthes

QUESTION:
I have a Nepenthes ventricosa with a mushroom growing in the soil. I've had a particularly dry few weeks in my house, so I've been watering my plants a little more often than usual. I recently came over to admire the new growth on my Nepenthes and noticed a mushroom that spontaneously burst from the sphagnum moss. It's been more than two years since I last repotted the plant, and I've been watering it with bottled water. On occasion I use fertilizer. I've had the plant for 3 years, and I don't want to kill this plant with a fungus. Will it harm the plant?
(Submitted in August 2021.)

RESPONSE BY JEFF DALLAS:
Usually the fungi associated with mushrooms is beneficial, not pathogenic. It might even be a mycorrhizal, which improves the health of may plants. However, it could indicate that your media is breaking down, so I would plan on transplanting into fresh media in the next few weeks. Use a mix of equal parts sphagnum moss and perlite. You can make your own or order a bag of our tropical pitcher plant mix.

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