“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”― Roald Dahl

Walking through the leadwood forest in the northern parts of Londolozi, I can’t help but feel surrounded by magic. The cool soil beneath my feet, the golden light warming my cheeks, and the wind swaying the trees—it all feels like the air itself is lifting me, held up by the trees.

Oblivious to what is happening beneath my feet…

Every footstep disturbs the soil, but there’s something special beneath it—something that rises up, as if to gently cradle the ground I’ve shifted.

While it’s not quite magic in the traditional sense, what’s happening underfoot feels like a world woven with enchantment. The surface may seem still and peaceful, but below, an extraordinary conversation is taking place. That hidden world made me think of one of my favourite poems:

There are two paths to magic:
imagination and paying attention.
Imagination is the fiction we love,
the truths built of falsehoods,
glowing dust on the water’s surface.

Paying attention is about intentional noticing,
participating in making meaning to lend new weight to our world.

An acorn.
The geometry of a beehive.

The complexity of whale song.
The perfect slowness of a heron.

Magic isn’t a dismissal of what is real.
It’s a synthesis of it,
the nectar of fact becoming the honey of meaning.
—Jarod K. Anderson

Reading those words reminds me to notice—really notice—the world around me. And here, in this wild ecosystem, the trees are part of an incredible system that we so often overlook. Plants communicate with one another through a vast and intricate network—a network made possible by fungi. This hidden world, the mycelium network, is redefining how we understand plant life and interaction.

What Is the Mycelium Network?

Mycelium is the vegetative part of fungi, made up of fine, thread-like structures called hyphae. If you’ve ever repotted a plant and seen thin white threads clinging to its roots, you’ve witnessed this network firsthand.

Psilocybe cubensis growing out of elephant dung.

These hyphae stretch underground, sometimes covering vast distances, forming a complex and interconnected web. While the mushrooms we see are the fruit of the fungi, it’s the hidden mycelium that creates the foundation. This underground network not only supports fungi but also plays a vital role in the lives of plants.

structure of the mushroom mycelium of a white champignon, Agaricus bisporus, in soil.

The mycelium connects the roots of different plants, creating a kind of “wood wide web” that allows them to share resources, send warnings, and even help weaker plants. It’s a system of communication and cooperation that turns the idea of plants as solitary organisms on its head.

How Do Plants Communicate Through Mycelium?

This underground highway allows plants to send and receive signals in remarkable ways:

1. Nutrient Sharing:

One of the most magical aspects of the mycelium network is its ability to share nutrients between plants. A tree basking in sunlight may produce more sugars than it needs through photosynthesis. These sugars can travel through the mycelium to a neighbouring tree, perhaps one shaded or struggling to grow. In this way, the network supports the whole forest, helping weaker plants thrive.

2. Warning Signals:

Plants can also send out distress signals. If one is being attacked by pests, it releases chemical warnings through the mycelium, alerting nearby plants. Those plants can then prepare defences, like producing chemicals to ward off the same threat. It’s a silent alarm system, keeping the entire plant community safer.

3. Supporting Growth:

Mycelium doesn’t just help adult plants; it also supports the young. Older, established trees can send nutrients through the network to nurture saplings, giving them a better chance at survival. This nurturing system maintains the balance and diversity of the ecosystem, ensuring new life continues to flourish.

The Role of Mycorrhizal Fungi

The relationship between plants and fungi is a mutualistic partnership, where both benefit. Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, helping plants absorb water and essential nutrients like phosphorus. In return, the fungi receive sugars and other organic compounds from the plants.

This connection is so important that most land plants rely on mycorrhizal fungi to survive. Without it, many would struggle, especially in poor soils. It’s a reminder that even the mightiest trees need help from the unseen world below.

The Bigger Picture: Mycelium and Ecosystem Health

The mycelium network doesn’t just help individual plants—it supports entire ecosystems. By enabling plants to share resources and information, it makes the forest more resilient to environmental challenges. The network helps plant communities adapt, resist disease, and recover from disturbances.

Scientists are only beginning to understand the full implications of this network for things like sustainable agriculture, conservation, and even climate change mitigation. As we learn more, we might find new ways to harness this natural system to restore degraded lands, protect biodiversity, and promote harmony with the natural world.

An elephant bull walking through the Leadwood forest. I always wonder, if trees could talk, what stories they could tell.

As I walk through the forest, I’m reminded that magic isn’t always about what we see—it’s about paying attention to the invisible connections that keep the world alive. The next time you wander through a forest, pause for a moment and notice the intricate dialogue happening beneath your feet—a hidden world, quietly working its magic.