Pacific Northwest Fungi Forager
Mushroom hunting made easy
Morel Mushrooms
Morchella
PNW morels come in 3 broad categories: Blonde (or white morels), natural black morels, and fire morels. Each category contains several species that come in several colors.
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These delicious mushrooms are easily distinguished from their poisonous look-alikes by looking for their hollow cross-section and honeycomb-like caps. Morels and must never be eaten raw, always cook thoroughly over medium-high heat.
Not sure where to look? Check out my step by step guide on how to successfully hunt morels.
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Cap
light tan to dark brown or blackish, pitted and connected to the stem
Pits
light tan to dark brown or blackish, with a pitted honeycomb shapeÂ
Stem
creamy colored with solid walls but completely hollow (no cottony pith) Â
Creamy white or pale ochre
Companions
Conifers, especially Pine orÂ
Cottonwood & Willow in sandy soil
Seasons
Spring when the ground temperature reaches 50 degrees F
Morel Identification Check List:
1. Cap is pitted like irregular honeycomb
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2. Cross-section is hollow with cap fully connected to stem
3. Cap colors range from light tan to black
Compare Morels to Look-Alikes:
Photo by: Fluff Berger
Morchella americana
Yellow Morel
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: yellowish
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: Lilacs are blooming
Key Companions: Cottonwoods
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: fewteeth
Morchella populiphila
Half Free Morel
Cap Shape: pitted, half free of stem
Cap Color: tan, brown or blackish
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: Trilliums are blooming
Key Companions: Cottonwoods
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: moorebuesing
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Morchella tridentina
Western Blonde
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: grey to blonde yellow
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: Trilliums are turning pink
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: Alan Rockefeller
Morchella sextelata
True Morel
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: tan to brown
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: 1-2yrs after fire
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: Oleg Kosterin
False Morel
Cap Shape: folded brain-like wrinkles
Cap Color: red-brown to black-brown
Cross Section: solid fleshy wrinkles
Timing Clues: Spring
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: toxic
Photo by: walt sturgeon
Morchella prava
True Morel
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: yellowish ridges w/ dark pits
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: Lilacs are blooming
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: Britt Bunyard
Morchella brunnea
Morchella brunnea
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: brown to blackish
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: Trilliums are turning pink
Key Companions: Cottonwoods
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: Terri Clements/Donna Fulton
Morchella eximia
True Morel
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: tan to brown
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: 1-2yrs after fire
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: Matt Bowser
Morchella tomentosa
True Morel
Cap Shape: pitted, covered in hairs
Cap Color: blonde to blackish
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: several years after fire
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: Allyzilla
False Morel
Cap Shape: folded brain-like wrinkles
Cap Color: tan to brown
Cross Section: solid fleshy wrinkles
Timing Clues: Snow melt
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: toxic
Photo by: Tim Sage
Morchella importuna
True Morel
Cap Shape: narrowly pitted
Cap Color: greyish brown to black
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: Trilliums are blooming
Key Companions: disturbed soil
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: Drewpysnoobs
Morchella snyderi
True Morel
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: tan to black w/ green tinges
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: Trilliums are turning pink
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: tyler_hacking
Morchella exuberans
True Morel
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: tan to brown
Cross Section: hollow
Timing Clues: 1-2yrs after fire
Key Companions: Conifers
Edibility: delicious!
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Photo by: Allyzilla
False Morel
Cap Shape: pitted
Cap Color: tan to brown
Cross Section: cottony fibers
Timing Clues: Spring
Key Companions: Cottonwoods
Edibility: toxic for some
