Fairy rings are characterized by what feature?

• A. Fairy rings
• B. Mushrooms may appear and rings can range from a few inches to over 50 ft in diameter
• C. Frog eye pattern on dead turf
• D. Whitish dusty appearance on leaves

Answer: (B)

Fairy rings arise from a fungus living in a circular pattern within the turf, and the most recognizable sign is the appearance of mushrooms at the edge of the ring. These rings can be quite small, just a few inches across, or extend to very large diameters—over 50 feet in some cases. The reason this feature is key is that the fungus colonizes the soil or thatch in a ring, pushing outward as it grows, and the fruiting bodies (the mushrooms) emerge at the outer edge when conditions favor them. The turf inside the ring may be greener or slower to grow depending on moisture and nutrient uptake, but the defining clue is the ring itself with possible mushroom formation around its perimeter. The other options describe different turf issues or leaf diseases and are not characteristic of fairy rings.