Michael Davis
Mushroom foraging is a popular activity, but it can be challenging to identify mushrooms and determine when they are in season. The availability of mushrooms depends on various factors, including weather conditions, region, and mushroom variety. While some mushrooms can be found year-round, such as cultivated shiitake and oyster mushrooms, others have specific seasons when they are more prevalent. Spring, for instance, offers a variety of wild mushrooms like morels, enoki, and oyster mushrooms, while autumn is known for mushrooms like chanterelles, porcini, and slippery jacks. Foragers must be cautious and accurately identify mushrooms to ensure they are edible, as some mushrooms have deadly lookalikes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mushrooms in season in spring | Porcini, slippery jack, Chanterelles, Morels, Fairy Ring mushrooms, Wood Ear mushrooms, Tiny Grey Sponge mushrooms, Oyster mushrooms, Lion's mane |
| Mushrooms in season in summer | Porcini, Chanterelles, Morels, Fairy Ring mushrooms |
| Mushrooms in season in autumn | Mushrooms are widespread in coniferous woods in autumn after rain from late April to early May in the US and from the end of February to early May in Australia |
| Mushrooms in season in winter | Wood Blewit, Lion’s Mane, Winter Oyster |
| General mushroom season trends | Mushroom seasons are influenced by factors such as weather, region, and variety. In mild winters, mushrooms can be found in January and February, and with warm, dry autumns and mild early winters, November has become the prime mushroom month. |
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What You'll Learn
Spring: morels, enoki, velvet shank, Gyromitra, and oyster mushrooms
Spring is a great time for mushroom foraging, with many varieties of edible mushrooms sprouting up in the wild. The weather and location play a significant role in determining the types of mushrooms that grow in a particular season. Here are some mushrooms that are commonly found in the spring:
Morels
Morels (Morchella) are among the most well-known and sought-after mushrooms in the spring. They are often the first mushrooms to appear in the wild during this season. Black morels, a variety of morels, can be found at the base of ash, elm, aspen, poplar, cottonwood, or apple trees. They have a distinctive honeycomb-like exterior and a hollow, white interior. Morels are prized for their deep, nutty flavour and are considered a delicacy. However, it is important to be cautious as there are several morel look-alikes that are highly toxic.
Enoki and Velvet Shank
Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) mushrooms are another variety that foragers can find in the spring. They are often found on elm trees, but a slightly larger variety, F. populicola, grows on aspen trees. Enoki mushrooms are similar to the cultivated mushrooms sold in supermarkets and are commonly used in Asian cuisine.
Gyromitra
Gyromitra mushrooms are also springtime mushrooms. While they are eaten in some places, such as Finland, they require advanced knowledge to identify and prepare properly. Gyromitra mushrooms are not hollow like morels but are filled with folds or cottony pith. Without thorough cooking, they are poisonous.
Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) are one of the most common cultivated varieties, but they also grow naturally in the spring. They can be found on and near trees in temperate and subtropical forests worldwide. Oyster mushrooms have broad fan-shaped caps with gills on the underside and are known for their mild texture and versatility in the kitchen. They are commonly used in stir-fries and other oriental recipes.
Spring offers a variety of mushrooms for foragers to discover, but it is important to exercise caution. Before consuming any wild mushrooms, it is crucial to properly identify them and be aware of any toxic look-alikes. Always consult an expert or a guide to ensure the safety of your mushroom foraging experience.
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Summer: wood ear mushrooms
While mushroom foraging has no fixed start or finish due to the vastness of the mushroom kingdom, certain types of mushrooms are more prevalent at specific times of the year. These periods are called seasons.
Wood ear mushrooms are cold-adapted. They can freeze at night and thaw during the day. They grow on sticks and downed logs during spring, summer, and fall after heavy rains. They are edible and add a nice texture to soups or ramen. They are easy to identify but a little tricky to cook and eat. These polypore mushrooms with a pheasant tail pattern can appear in large numbers on dying box elder and elm trees around the same time as morels, or sometimes a week or so before.
Wood ear mushrooms are just one of the many mushrooms that grow in the summer. Others include chanterelles, chicken mushrooms, puffballs, and pheasant back mushrooms.
The best times to find mushrooms growing wild depend on the location of the woods, the weather, and the skill of the forager. Mushrooms can still be found in January and February in mild winters, and with the possible exception of March, some mushroom seasons can continue all year.
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Autumn: mushrooms in Australia's coniferous woods
Mushroom foraging in Australia can be a tricky affair, with many toxic mushrooms resembling edible ones. It is important to be cautious and informed before consuming any foraged mushrooms. Autumn in Australia sees the arrival of mushroom season, with many species—edible, poisonous, and psychoactive—making their appearance.
In Australia's coniferous woods, you may come across the Saffron Milkcap, also known as the Pine Mushroom or Red Pine Mushroom. This mushroom is a favourite among foragers and can be found in markets and greengrocers. Another mushroom to look out for is the Slippery Jack, often found around coniferous trees, specifically pines, and can be harvested from autumn to early winter. It has a distinctive ring around the upper part of the stem and yellow pores instead of gills.
The Birch Bolete is another species that grows in coniferous woods, though it is more commonly found under silver birches. With smooth white pores and brown caps, they can be harvested from late summer to autumn. The Wood Blewit is another edible species that grows in Australia's woodlands.
It is important to note that misidentification of fungi is a concern, and some poisonous "lookalike" species can grow alongside their edible counterparts. The Death Cap, for example, is a white mushroom that resembles store-bought varieties and is responsible for a high number of mushroom-related deaths worldwide, including some in Australia. Therefore, it is crucial to be well-informed and cautious when foraging for mushrooms in Australia's coniferous woods during the autumn season.
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Winter: oyster mushrooms, reishi mushroom look-alikes, and chaga fungus
While most mushrooms grow in spring, summer, and fall, certain species are available during the winter months, depending on the climate. In warmer locations with higher latitudes, such as the Pacific Northwest, South, and West, there are more mushrooms to forage in winter. However, in regions with cold climates, like Vermont, winter mushrooms are mostly spring or late fall mushrooms.
Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are one of the few carnivorous mushrooms that can kill nematodes (small worms). They are generally white, grey, or tan and can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes. They grow in tightly tiered formations on small branches, dead hardwood, fallen trunks, tree stumps, and even park benches. Oyster mushrooms are common in UK woods and can be found all year round, including in winter.
Reishi Mushroom Look-Alikes
While actual reishi mushrooms are softer and more susceptible to being eaten by slugs and insects, their look-alikes, known as artist's conk, are woody and can survive through the winter months. They are found in woods that are rich with reishi and possess similar medicinal properties. Artist's conk gets its name from the marks left on the bottom when touched, and its pore surface can be carved into.
Chaga Fungus
Chaga fungus is a medicinal mushroom that grows specifically on birch trees and is parasitic, slowly killing the tree over several decades. Birch trees have medicinal compounds in their tissues to defend themselves from mushroom invaders, and chaga mushrooms produce compounds to survive in the birch wood. These compounds have medicinal benefits for humans, making chaga fungus valuable.
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All-year-round: artists' conk
Artists conk, also known as "Red Mother Fungus" or "Ancient Ling Zhi (Spirit Mushroom)", is a member of the Ganoderma (Reishi) family. It is a perennial fungus, typically found on hardwood logs or stumps. This means that, unlike most mushrooms, it can be found all year round. Artist's conk is found in almost every state in America, all across Canada, and many other world continents.
Artist's conk gets its name from the natural canvas on the under surface of the fruiting body. When this surface is etched into, the brown bruising is in sharp contrast to the white colour of the rest of the body, allowing for the creation of beautiful, natural drawings. This mushroom is also used to make tea or tinctures, which are believed to have strong antimicrobial and immune-enhancing properties. It has been used for hundreds of years as traditional medicine, with use in ancient China being detailed in descriptions dated to the first and second centuries AD.
Artist's conk is a polypore, meaning it has pores instead of gills or teeth to release its spores. Polypores can be distinguished from other pored mushrooms by their typically woody, shelf-like form, projecting straight out of tree trunks or logs. There are no poisonous polypores in the Northeast, but most are inedible due to their woody, rubbery, or fibrous textures.
The age of an artist's conk mushroom can be determined by cutting it in half and counting the number of pore layers. This mushroom is a wood-decay fungus, causing a rot of the heartwood in a variety of trees. As the tree is broken down and digested, beneficial compounds like polyphenols, polysaccharides, and triterpenes are accumulated by the mushroom.
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Frequently asked questions
In spring, you can find morels, enoki, wood ear, oyster, and lion's mane mushrooms.
In summer, you can find porcini, slippery jack, chanterelles, fairy ring, and lion's mane mushrooms.
In autumn, you can find chanterelles, black trumpets, blewits, and lion's mane mushrooms.
