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6 Characteristics to Avoid Poisonous Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest


Amanita pantherinoides - The Western Panther
Amanita pantherinoides - The Western Panther

Getting started with mushroom foraging can be intimidating because there are mushrooms that grow in our area that are poisonous, some even deadly.


There is no simple rule that will always differentiate poisonous from edible mushrooms, but there is a short list of characteristics that will steer you away from mistake-prone edibles and their poisonous look-alikes.


I'm on a mission to make mushroom foraging in the Pacific Northwest approachable for beginners by creating free educational modules that are bite-sized, photo-forward, and in language anyone can understand.


My latest module groups our local poisonous mushrooms by six easy-to-remember characteristics that I recommend beginners avoid while they are learning to accurately identify mushrooms.


  1. Growing on the ground with whitish, blade-like gills

This group contains the most poisonous mushrooms, and they are the cause of the most common mushroom poisonings (and deaths from poisoning) in our area.


Gills appear underneath the cap of most mushrooms and are the fertile surface that releases spores, the microscopic bits that help mushrooms spread (like seeds).


True gills look like hundreds of tiny knife blades hanging blade down, positioned around the stem of the mushroom like the spokes on a wheel.


Gills Example
Gills Example

  1. Yellowish/orangish mushrooms with blade-like gills



    Western Jack-O-Lantern by Ron Pastorino (Ronpast) at Mushroom Observer
    Western Jack-O-Lantern by Ron Pastorino (Ronpast) at Mushroom Observer

There are just a few mushrooms in this category, but the most likely to be an issue when hunting beginner-friendly mushrooms is the Western Jack-O-Lantern. This hardwood-loving mushroom has blade-like gills that are slightly bioluminescent. Learn to easily differentiate it from the delicious Golden Chanterelle: https://www.pnwfungiforager.com/chanterelles

  1. Little brown capped mushrooms


    Deadly Galerina by Alan Rockefeller
    Deadly Galerina by Alan Rockefeller

This group of two deadly mushrooms is often confused with hallucinogenic mushrooms, a topic I haven't decided if I will tackle. Let me know if you'd like me to: https://www.pnwfungiforager.com/feedback

  1. Mushrooms with lobbed or brain-like caps


    False Morel
    False Morel

This group of two deadly poisonous mushrooms includes the 'False Morel,' which is easily distinguished from the edible delicacy. Learn how to easily tell the difference: https://www.pnwfungiforager.com/morels

  1. Mushrooms with pores that are or stain red when bruised


Boletus pulcherrimus by Ryane Snow (snowman) at Mushroom Observer
Boletus pulcherrimus by Ryane Snow (snowman) at Mushroom Observer

Spongy pores sometimes appear under the cap of mushrooms where gills may otherwise be. When those pores are red or turn red when bruised or cut, you know it's poisonous. I haven't yet created the Pored Mushroom module. If this is something you're excited about, let me know: https://www.pnwfungiforager.com/feedback


  1. Black center



This group was created for a single mushroom: Scleroderma bovista, the Potato Earthball. This mushroom might be confused for a tasty Puffball mushroom if not for the gross black center you see when you cut it open. The Puffball module is coming soon; let me know if you'd like me to prioritize it next: https://www.pnwfungiforager.com/feedback




Check out the Poisonous Mushrooms module to see photos of each poisonous mushroom that highlight these characteristics: https://www.pnwfungiforager.com/poisonousmushrooms

 
 
 

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