Featured Fungi
Ready to get into the woods? Browse our list of featured fungi for tips and intel from our science advisors, ID specialists, and experienced foragers and learn about some of the common and not-so-common mushroom species you might encounter in the wild.
Fort Bragg, 2021. Photo by Hugh Smith
We hunt mushrooms for study, for their beauty and/or strangeness, and in some cases for the table. The pages and stories our members provide on this website are not intended for you to use as an ID guide for edible mushrooms. You must must be qualified to positively identify every individual mushroom in your collection as an edible species before eating it. Remember: "When in doubt, throw it out!"
When collecting fungi for the table:
Learn how to use a formally published field guide correctly.
Get help from ID specialists to verify the identity of mushrooms you're still learning to identify.
Don't assume nearby or look-alike mushrooms are the same species. Identify every single specimen.
If you live in the Bay Area, you can join the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz or a related mycological club to gain more skills. For example, in FFSC's mushroom ID classes you will learn how to use and then practice using the classic field guide Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora, with a science advisor available to confirm/correct your ID attempts. On our local forays and long-distance forays, our science advisors and experienced members can also help you identify mushrooms you've collected. You're also welcome to bring mushrooms you've found to any of our events.
Here are a few other useful resources about eating mushrooms
What We're Reading (field guides and more)
Get intel about some of our favorite mushrooms below, and check out our Fungi Photo Gallery for some of our favorite photos!
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A Bolete by Any Other Name...
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Many mushrooms we see in our local woods now have a new name or spot in the myco tree of life. One of our most prized groups of local mushrooms, the boletes, is no exception. Let's look at some name changes that you might need to be aware of if you're using older field guides.
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Fomes fomentarius, the “Tinder Fungus”
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Most of us enjoy the process of walking through moist forests in search of fungi for the table. For some of us, it is the hope of finding a rare or unusual species that draws us to the woods. But in a time before matches and Bic lighters, a hike in the woods yielded fungi that held the promise of a fire.
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Honey Mushrooms - Armillaria mellea
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Objects or firewood stacked up against a trunk, misguided nearby plantings, surplus soil or mulch, and other man-made sources can allow certain mycelium to infiltrate oak, maple, grape vines, blackberries, and orchard trees and shrubs. Mark shares some lessons from his professional experience with mitigating and preventing "Oak root rot", a.k.a, Armillarea Root Rot, or Armillaria mellea.
Inky Caps - from "Basic Inky Cap ID for California"
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"Out of the millions of different kinds of fungi out there, I think that inky caps are the coolest by far. They are called inky caps because they dissolve into black ink when they get old. They are also often misidentified, so I put together a list of the common inky caps and their differences."
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Lawn Agaricus
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This featured species turns up in the plastic bags of people attending the Fungus Fair perhaps more than any other fleshy fungus. Invariably, hordes of people will be lined up at the mushroom ID table with bags containing fresh to soggy specimens of Agaricus mushrooms they found “growing in my lawn. Are these edible? Will they poison my dog, cat, kids?”
Meet Amanita pruittii: Arora’s Amanita, Anonymous No More!
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Those of us who are passionate about all aspects of wild mushrooms are a breed apart. As mycophilic outliers to the societal norm, what better focus for our discerning attention than a mycological oddity like the renamed Amanita pruittii? This mushroom is unimposing, squat and warted, sometimes grows in standing water, and most curiously, is not found with a mycorrhizal partner!
Mycophagy Challenge: Ten Edibles to Find this Year
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People come to the love of mushrooms for various reasons, but for most in this club, the main reason seems to be that they are good to eat! By focusing on learning just a few mushrooms really well, you can “pick up” a few new species each year almost effortlessly.
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The Chanterelles
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One of the first wild mushrooms that beginning foragers seek out is our local golden chanterelle. That is most likely because it is relatively abundant, is easy to recognize and has a reputation for being a good edible. For many years, these mushrooms went by the Latin name Cantharellus cibarius. It was only recently that the various different chanterelle species have been given their own unique names.
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What is Not to Love About The Prince? (Agaricus augustus)
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Just when you thought the mushroom season was over, “The Prince” may appear, providing mushroom enthusiasts a culinary bounty. Tall, stately, golden-hued and perfumed like almond paste, this royal-sized mushroom often fruits in warm weather. Coming upon the Prince unexpectedly can be an experience to remember.