The viral ‘apple fungus’ that’s intriguing the Chinese Internet – and scientists

Medicinal mushroom typically does not grow on acidic fruit, leading researchers to track down sample and study the unlikely pairing. — SCMP

A photo of an apple sprouting a mushroom-like growth has taken the Chinese internet by storm, leading researchers to investigate the unlikely pairing and what it could mean for fruit cultivation and breeding better strains of a fungus valued for its medicinal properties.

A social media user with the handle “Peirong” on the Chinese platform Xiaohongshu discovered the white fungal growth on an apple she had bought a month earlier. Her family convinced her to post a photo online, which soon attracted thousands of likes.