15-pound mushroom

Contributed Photo/Deb Sidell
Left, New Sweden resident Deb Sidell holds a 15-pound mushroom she and her husband, Alex, found in the woods outside of their home. According to University of Maine biology professor Robert Pinette, the scientific name for the mushroom is Calvatia gigantea, more commonly known as a “giant puffball.” Pinette advised the Sidells that while their puffball is indeed large, they can grow much larger. The couple returned the puffball to where they found it and will check on it periodically to see if it continues to grow.