What Is The Difference Between Plants And Fungi

If you’ve ever looked at a mushroom and wondered how it compares to a flower, you’re not alone. Understanding the difference between plants and fungi is a common question for anyone curious about the natural world in their garden. At first glance, they might seem similar—they both grow from the ground and don’t move around. But once you look closer, you’ll find they are fundamentally different kingdoms of life.

This knowledge isn’t just academic. It helps you become a better gardener. Knowing whether you’re dealing with a plant or a fungus can mean the difference between a thriving garden and a struggling one. Let’s break down these differences in a simple, clear way.

The core distinction lies in how they get their food. Plants are producers. They make their own food through a process called photosynthesis. Fungi, on the other hand, are decomposers. They absorb nutrients from other organic matter around them. This single difference creates a cascade of other variations, from their cellular structure to their role in your garden’s ecosystem.

How They Get Energy: The Food Factory vs. The Recycler

This is the biggest and most important difference.

Plants (The Food Factory): Plants have a superpower: chlorophyll. This green pigment captures sunlight. Using this solar energy, plants combine carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil to create sugar (glucose). This process is photosynthesis. They literally build their bodies from air and light.
Fungi (The Recycler): Fungi have no chlorophyll. They cannot use sunlight. Instead, they secrete powerful digestive enzymes into their environment—like onto a fallen log, a pile of leaves, or even your plant’s roots. These enzymes break down organic material, and then the fungus absorbs the digested nutrients directly through its cell walls.

Physical Structure: Cellulose vs. Chitin

If you could look at their building blocks under a microscope, you’d see another stark contrast.

Plant Cell Walls: Made of cellulose. This is a tough, fibrous carbohydrate that gives plants their rigid structure. It’s what makes wood hard and stems sturdy.
Fungal Cell Walls: Made of chitin. This is the same tough material that makes up the exoskeletons of insects and crabs. It’s very durable but different from cellulose.

This is why fungicides and plant treatments work differently; they target these unique structures.

Reproduction: Seeds vs. Spores

Their strategies for creating new life are also distinct.

Plants: Often reproduce through seeds (like tomatoes or sunflowers) or spores (like ferns and mosses). Seeds contain a tiny embryo and a store of food, protected by a coat. Many plants also reproduce through runners, bulbs, or cuttings.
Fungi: Reproduce almost exclusively via spores. These are microscopic, like dust. A single mushroom can release millions of spores into the air. When they land in a suitable spot, they germinate and grow. They don’t have a seed embryo.

Storage of Energy: Starch vs. Glycogen

How they save their food for later is a clue to their ancestry.

Plants: Store their energy as starch. You find this in potatoes, grains, and seeds.
Fungi: Store their energy as glycogen. This is the same short-term energy storage molecule that animals use. It’s one reason scientist think fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants.

Their Role in Your Garden’s Ecosystem

Understanding their jobs helps you appreciate both, even when a fungus seems like a problem.

Plants are the foundation. They are the primary producers that capture energy from the sun and make it available to everything else. They provide food, oxygen, and habitat.
Fungi are the essential clean-up crew and networkers. As decomposers, they break down dead plant and animal matter, returning vital nutrients to the soil so plants can use them again. Without fungi, your garden would be buried in undecomposed litter.

The Special Case of Mycorrhizal Fungi

Not all fungi are decomposers of dead stuff. Some form amazing partnerships with plants. Mycorrhizal fungi attach to plant roots. They extend the root system by miles, helping the plant absorb more water and nutrients like phosphorus. In exchange, the plant shares some of its sugars from photosynthesis with the fungus. It’s a win-win relationship that’s crucial for most plants health.

Common Examples in Your Garden

Let’s make it practical. Here’s what you’re actually seeing:

Clear Plants: Trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, vegetables, herbs, mosses, ferns.
Clear Fungi: Mushrooms, toadstools, the mold on old mulch, the yeast in your bread, the mildew on your rose leaves.
The Tricky Ones: Lichens are a partnership between a fungus and an algae (a plant-like organism). The fungus provides structure, and the algae provides food via photosynthesis.

Why This Matters for Your Gardening

Knowing the difference has direct, practical applications:

Problem Identification: Is that white fuzz on your soil bad? It’s likely a harmless saprophytic fungus breaking down organic matter. But a fuzzy growth on your plant’s leaves might be a pathogenic fungus, like powdery mildew, that requires action.
Soil Health: Seeing mushrooms in your compost or garden beds is usually a excellent sign. It means your decomposer community is active and recycling nutrients.
Treatment Choices: You use a fungicide for fungal diseases (like black spot). You use an herbicide for unwanted plants (weeds). Using the wrong one is ineffective and wasteful.
Planting Choices: You can buy mycorrhizal fungal inoculants to add to planting holes. This boosts root establishment for trees and shrubs, leveraging that natural partnership.

A Quick-Reference Comparison Table

Here’s a summary to keep things straight:

Food Source: Plants = Sunlight (Photosynthesis). Fungi = Absorbed nutrients.
Cell Wall: Plants = Cellulose. Fungi = Chitin.
Energy Storage: Plants = Starch. Fungi = Glycogen.
Main Role: Plants = Producer. Fungi = Decomposer/Partner.
Reproduction: Plants = Seeds, spores, cuttings. Fungi = Spores.
Movement: Plants = Cannot move (roots anchored). Fungi = Cannot move (mycelium anchored).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are mushrooms plants?

No, mushrooms are not plants. They are the fruiting bodies of fungi, completely separate from the plant kingdom. They have no chlorophyll and cannot make their own food.

Is mold a plant or a fungus?

Mold is a type of fungus. It grows as a network of filaments (mycelium) and reproduces by spores, just like mushrooms do. It absorbs nutrients from whatever its growing on.

What came first, plants or fungi?

Current science suggests fungi may have evolved before plants on land. Some evidence indicates fungi could have been on land over a billion years ago, helping to create soil that later plants could grow in.

Why were fungi ever classified as plants?

Historically, all living things were grouped as either animals (that moved) or plants (that didn’t). Since fungi don’t move and have structures like mushrooms that grow from the ground, they were lumped in with plants for centuries until science understood their unique biology better.

Can fungi be beneficial for plants?

Absolutely! Many fungi are critical for plant health. Mycorrhizal fungi, as mentioned, help with nutrient uptake. Decomposer fungi create rich compost. Only a small percentage of fungi are pathogenic (disease-causing) to plants.

How can I tell if something in my garden is a fungus?

Look for clues: Does it have green parts (likely a plant)? Is it breaking down dead material (likely a fungus)? Is it a sudden, fuzzy growth without leaves or chlorophyll (likely a fungus)? When in doubt, a quick search or asking a local gardening group with a photo can help.

So, the next time you’re in your garden, you’ll see it with new eyes. The green, leafy beings building with sunlight, and the often-unseen network of fungal recyclers working the soil. They depend on each other in a delicate balance. By understanding the simple but profound difference between plants and fungi, you can make smarter decisions, foster a healthier ecosystem, and truly work with nature, not just in it. Appreciating both kingdoms is key to becoming a more skilled and effective gardener.