It's Mushroom Time

Spring is a good time to keep your eye open for mushrooms in the woods. A highlight of spring are morels. Look for them in disturbed areas. We've found many other species big and small, a few of which appear on this mushroom photo page. Remember - always get your mushrooms checked by a knowledgeable person before eating. It's a good idea to eat just a little of an edible mushroom that is new to you and check for a reaction, then go wild and indulge in these spring offerings. This page shows both non- and edible mushrooms.

Morchella conica (top) and Morchella esculenta Amanita pantherina is one big mushroom. Ramaria Sp.

Morels growing in wood chips. Can you see the 2 morels from the photo above? Amanita pantherina up close Gyromitra esculenta

 

Amanita muscaria
Formation of the Amanita muscaria

The Amanita muscaria is a cool looking mushroom that pops its head up looking something like a golf ball. It quickly grows and before you know it has matured into a reddish mushroom with bits of its protective casing still sticking to it. This mushroom was a bit pale but some can be quite a rich red colour.

In the first photo (below), the Amanita muscaria is just poking through the forest floor. The mushroom is encased in a protected sheath called a universal veil. The veil encases the mushroom like an egg. As the mushroom grows it breaks through this protective sheath.

In the second photo the mushroom has started growing and, as the stem grows up, it breaks through the universal veil. The veil is now broken in two and remains on the top, as you can plainly see in the photo, and on the bottom as you can just make out in the forest floor. Photo taken just a few days later.

The last photos show a mature Amanita muscaria (not the same one but a neighbour) about a week later. It has grown tremendously and the veil now is broken into little pieces on the top and hanging from the edge.

Amanita muscaria coming up through the forest floor. | Amanita muscaria growing through the universal veil.

Mature Amanita muscaria grown through the veil. | Mature Amanita muscaria side view.

 

And now for the Oysters!

Small oyster mushrooms. | Oyster mushrooms growing on alder log.

 

Perfection and delicious oyster mushrooms. | Oysters in different stages on the underside of an alder.

Spring!
And the woods are alive
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