Short answer
Fungi are not plants. Most plants make organic food through photosynthesis; fungi obtain it from other organic matter. Fungal walls commonly contain chitin, while plant walls are primarily cellulose. Both are eukaryotes and can live closely together. 1 2 3
Separate eukaryotic lineages; similar rooted appearances do not mean similar nutrition.
On this page
At a glance
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| Question | Fungi | Plants |
|---|---|---|
| How they feed | Absorb organic nutrients | Usually photosynthesize |
| Typical wall material | Chitin | Cellulose |
| Familiar example | Mushroom or yeast | Oak tree or moss |
The table summarizes the cited definitions and the article’s stated scope. 1 2 3
What each thing is
Fungi. Eukaryotic organisms that obtain nutrients from organic material, commonly by absorption. 1
Plants. Eukaryotes in the land-plant lineage, usually photosynthetic and with cellulose-rich cell walls. 2 3
Key differences
A mushroom standing in soil looks plant-like, but the visible cap is a reproductive structure of a fungus. Fungi have no chloroplast-based photosynthesis. Plant roots and fungal networks often cooperate rather than being the same organism. 1 2 3
Fungal hyphae release enzymes and absorb nutrients from surrounding organic matter. A typical green land plant uses photosynthesis to make sugars from light, carbon dioxide and water. The two can exchange resources at a root interface; in that partnership, the plant and fungus remain separate organisms with distinct roles. 1 2 3
How to tell them apart
Check nutrition and cell biology, not whether something stays in one place. Green leaves connected to photosynthetic tissue suggest a plant; hyphae absorbing nutrients and fruiting bodies such as mushrooms suggest a fungus. 1 2 3
Where they overlap
Both can be multicellular, have cell walls and reproduce with spores in some groups. Many plants partner with fungi at their roots in mycorrhizal relationships. 1 2 3
Edge cases
Some plants do not photosynthesize for all or part of their lives; that exception does not make them fungi. Lichens combine a fungus with a photosynthetic partner, so their surface appearance cannot be classified as one organism without further detail. 1 2 3
Photosynthesis is a useful usual clue, not a necessary property of every individual plant at every life stage. Some plants obtain carbon from other organisms. A lichen is another warning against judging a surface by appearance: its photosynthetic component and its fungal component do not merge into a new plant. 1 2 3
Why the distinction exists
Historically, fungi were grouped with plants because they are stationary and have cell walls. Modern cell biology and evolutionary relationships separate them. 1 2 3
Common misconceptions
A mushroom is not an unusual plant without leaves. It belongs to a different lineage with a different mode of nutrition. 1 2 3
Examples
A tree can supply sugars to a root-associated fungus while the fungus helps the tree acquire water or minerals; the partners remain different organisms. 1 2 3
Sources
Sources checked October 3, 2026.
- OpenStax Biology 2e — Characteristics of Fungi. 24.1 Characteristics of Fungi.
- OpenStax Biology 2e — Early Plant Life. 25.1 Early Plant Life.
- OpenStax Biology 2e — Eukaryotic Cells. 4.3 Eukaryotic Cells.