Scarlet Elf Cups: Glowing with Wonder

Beneath a bright-chill sky, we're walking a familiar stretch of the Enola Low Grade, an abandoned branch line of the erstwhile Pennsylvania Railroad. Towering cliffs and old railway embankments intermittently block February sunlight from the trail, and much of our way is snow-covered. After a few miles of winter travel, we duck into Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve. Just weeks from now, the picturesque ravine that holds Grubb Run will begin to bloom with over one hundred varieties of seasonal wildflowers, a phenomenal display from March through June. We know that we're early for the show, but as we descend the trail— from snow-cover to mud-slick to winter-brown— we are reminded why this is a favorite place to visit. The fallen-log forest, moss-covered rock faces, and graceful hillsides and hummocks are not blooming, but they are awakening and palpably alive. There will be things to see here. We walk slowly, looking and lingering. We find a single hepatica bloom, tender green sprouts, delicate saxifrage and rockcress foliage—  all somewhat tentative, but something of a start.

Near a quiet turn in the trail, we spot a flash of scarlet amidst the blanket of damp-from-snowmelt woodland litter. Making use of a fallen log and executing a few unrecommended crouches and contortions to avoid trampling anything soon-to-bloom on sloping ground, we gently remove a layer of leaves and twigs and bits of bark to reveal a pair of cheerful, well-formed elf cups. Angled light from the bright-chill sky filters through barren branches, finding its way into the ravine and, in that moment, the cups glow with scarlet incandescence. Still crouched and somewhat contorted, we gaze upon them in hushed appreciation before replacing leaves and twigs and bits of bark in reasonable approximation to the lovely randomness of nature, restoring the scarlet cups to reclusive peace on mossy, loamy earth. We climb back to the Low Grade and make our return on snow-covered trail, considering how winter yields to spring— not instantaneously, but incrementally— inevitably, yet along a curving, sometimes curious path. And step by step, we try to walk with gratitude— for glimpses of wonder that lift spirits and sustain us, in sunlight and through shadow. — B.

Beyond 

whimsical tales 

of woodland elves sipping 

dew and snowmelt from crimson bowls,

beyond

magic—

scarlet elf cups 

rise from a winter bed 

of moss, broken branch, and frost-leaves,

glowing—

with wonder.

— B.

The scarlet elf cup mushroom is one of around 144,000 species in the kingdom Fungi. Fungi are ancient lifeforms— studies show they may have existed on earth over one billion years ago, well before any plants lived on land. The scarlet elf cup can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, preferring to grow in wet areas on decaying wood amongst fallen leaves. The little mushroom appears in the winter, a burst of bright red in the brown winter landscape. Like all fungi, it feeds on dissolved molecules from its surrounding environment— instead of photosynthesizing sunlight like plants— and converts these molecules into nutrients that are critical for sustaining other woodland life. The elf cup’s distinctive color and shape has inspired centuries of magical lore. Some say that elves drink their fill of morning dew from the cup; others say that it serves as the perfect bathtub for woodland fairies. The elf cup performs some tricks that are either magically or scientifically distinct, depending on your perspective. Instead of dropping spores from gills as many mushrooms do, the elf cup actively shoots them into the air from a sac in its cup. This makes a puff that is not only visible, but sometimes audible to humans. If you are lucky enough to find an elf cup, try blowing a puff of air into the cup, then quickly back up— don’t inhale! —and wait a second. If the elf cup is at the right stage of maturity, you may see and hear a mass release of spores. Although the elf cup is considered edible, always use caution when touching them— individual reactions to enchantment can vary. — D.

Children’s author Roald Dahl wrote: Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. If you have a belief system that doesn’t include the idea of magic, you may feel more comfortable with the idea of awe, or even divine wonder. However you come to it, it’s not hard to see how the scarlet elf cup’s appearance and abilities have always stirred the human imagination. How comfortable are you with feelings of magic or wonder? Can you recall a specific experience that sparked these feelings for you? How often do you open yourself to a wonder-full experience? Psychologists and anthropologists tell us that humans are hard-wired to try to figure out explanations for the things we experience. Have you established any noticeable life patterns for explaining things you don’t understand? Having a healthy sense of wonder is generally associated with a curious, creative, and flexible mindset. Look for some everyday magic around you today and see what you might discover. — D.

from The Mushroom is the Elf of Plants

The Mushroom is the Elf of Plants—

At Evening, it is not

At Morning, in a Truffled Hut

It stop opon a Spot...

— Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American Poet