MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Louie Jensen doesn't know whether to eat it or display it.
The Mount Pleasant resident grew a puffball mushroom weighing 14.18 pounds -- or, more accurately, found it growing on a hill in his backyard.
"Imagine something big, round and white that would fit on your entire car floorboard," said Carol Howard, Jensen's neighbor. "It's like it's from outer space."
Puffballs generally grow from mid-August to October and can reach four feet in width, said Howard, a retired Central Michigan University professor.
While Jensen decides whether to preserve or eat his massive fungus, the mushroom is occupying most of the space in his refrigerator.
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.