Disease

Fairy rings

Many fungi (Basidiomycetes)

Rings or arcs of darker, faster-growing grass, sometimes with mushrooms or a ring of dead grass, caused by fungi breaking down organic matter in the soil.

Also called: Fairy ring, Mushroom rings

Short answer

Fairy rings are rings or arcs of darker, faster-growing grass, sometimes with mushrooms or a ring of dead or dry grass. They are caused by fungi breaking down organic matter in the soil. Keep the lawn evenly watered and fed, use a wetting agent where the ring stays dry, and remove mushrooms so children and pets can't eat them.

Overview

Fairy rings are made by fungi living in the soil and feeding on buried organic matter. The grass in the ring is often darker and faster-growing than the lawn around it, and some rings also have a band of dry, dead grass.

They’re mostly a cosmetic problem. Even watering, a wetting agent for dry rings, and feeding the lawn so the rest of it matches the green ring are the usual fixes.

Symptoms

  • Circular or arc-shaped bands of darker green, faster-growing grass
  • Sometimes a ring of dead or dry grass inside the green band
  • Mushrooms or toadstools appearing in a ring after rain

Conditions that bring it on

  • Most often on light, sandy soils with low fertility and low moisture
  • Buried organic matter, such as old tree roots or building waste
  • Rings show up in moist turf in spring and early summer

When it's active

ZoneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Subtropical●●●●
Warm temperate●●●●
Temperate●●●●

Prevention

  1. Keep the lawn evenly watered; dry rings may need a wetting agent to get water into the soil.

  2. Feed the lawn so the whole area is as green as the ring.

  3. Mushrooms can be removed by hand and binned. Don't eat lawn mushrooms, and keep children and pets away from them.

In the Lawn Calendar

Look out for fairy ringsDisease watch

Rings of darker green grass, sometimes with mushrooms or dry grass, are fairy rings. Water deeply where the soil in the ring stays dry.

September, October, November, December · Subtropical, Warm temperate, Temperate

Open the Lawn Calendar

Popular questions about fairy rings

Guides

Common questions

Are fairy ring mushrooms dangerous?

Some lawn mushrooms are poisonous. Remove them and keep children and pets away. If anyone eats one, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

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Sources

  1. Turf weed, pest and disease identification guide (poster), Bayer Environmental Science, hosted by Turf AustraliaFairy ring: most common on light soils with low fertility and low moisture; rings of darker or faster-growing turf in spring or early summer; dead ring may develop. Accessed 3 October 2026.
  2. NSW Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26), NSW Government, The Sydney Children's Hospitals NetworkAccessed 3 October 2026.