Frank Giacomino found his biggest elm oyster mushroom, after 84 years of looking, to earn a richly deserved Mushroom of the Week.

Frank Giacomino found his biggest elm oyster mushroom, after 84 years of looking, to earn a richly deserved Mushroom of the Week.

By Dale Bowman

Frank Giacomino found his biggest elm oyster mushroom. Provided photo — **Frank Giacomino found his biggest elm oyster mushroom.**

Proud daughter Bette Zurawski emailed about the 3.06-pound elm oyster mushroom Frank Giacomino, 91, of Arlington Heights, found.

“This is his personal best in his 84-year career of mushroom hunting,” she emailed. “He `caught’ it in the northwest suburbs on October 25, but will not disclose the exact location :)”

Some things are timeless.

“This is Hypsizygus ulmarius, what some call elm oysters . . . not to be confused with Pleurotus, the oyster mushrooms,” emailed Andy Miller, curator of fungi for the Illinois Natural History Survey.

Normally, Mushroom of the Week, the celebration of mushrooms around Chicago outdoors, runs in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. But this was a special one that earned a place in the Wednesday edition of the outdoors. I think a well-deserved place.

Submit nominations by message on Facebook (Dale Bowman), on Twitter (@BowmanOutside) and Instagram (@BowmanOutside) or email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com).