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Are you ready for this weirdo for-sure-an-alien fungus? Purple jellydisc (Ascocoryne sarcoides) is absolutely bizarre and a little creepy with its purple blobs of jelly oozing from rotting wood. While this seems strange enough, the purple jellydisc is actually even more eccentric because it literally shape-shifts throughout its life and, when mature, can be quite […]

Blended Mushroom Course You can complete the e-learning course at your own pace and time before attending the live training. This course introduces the basic concepts and processes involved in composting and mushroom growing, followed by questions to consolidate your learning. Immediate feedback is provided once you submit your answers. During the live training, all

The difference between a fungus and a mushroom is simple and worth knowing. Especially since these words get used interchangeably all the time.

The dog’s nose fungus (Camarops petersii) is for sure one of the most bizarre-looking fungi species found in the woods. This fungus has an uncanny resemblance to an actual dog’s nose: the surface is black, wet, shiny, and covered with tiny pimples, just like the snouts of the real thing. Maybe this is Mother Earth’s

The oyster rollrim mushroom (Tapinella panuoides) is a common species across North America. It looks quite a bit like the edible oyster mushroom (Pleurotus) and often gets confused with it. This mushroom will cause gastrointestinal distress if eaten, though, so you don’t want to make that mistake. It isn’t deadly poisonous, but you will seriously

In the world of fungi, there are actually only a small number of poisonous mushrooms that will outright kill you. However, the ones that will kill you are extremely dangerous, and possibly surprising to many, extremely varied. There are colorful, striking mushrooms with deadly toxins, as well as bland, boring, innocent-looking species that are equally

Mushrooms aren’t all brown and boring! There are so many beautiful mushrooms out in the world, in reds and greens and purples and blues, and even some that glow.

The big game is almost here; and if you promise to keep this between us, we think the snacks are… The post Game Day Snacks, Upgraded, Thanks to Mushrooms appeared first on Mushroom Council.

Cooking is not a good or trustworthy way to make poisonous mushrooms safe to eat. Believing that cooking can remove toxins is a very dangerous mindset and can lead to life-threatening consequences. Many of the most dangerous mushroom toxins are heat-stable. These heat-stable toxins can survive boiling, frying, baking, drying, and even pressure cooking. In

Worried you may have eaten a poisonous mushroom? Mistakes happen and don’t let foolish pride stop you from seeking medical care immediately if you experience any of these symptoms!

It can be hard for humans to distinguish safe mushrooms from dangerous ones. So, how do animals know which mushrooms are safe to eat and won’t make them sick or kill them? The Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) is a good example. This mushroom is responsible for most fatal mushroom poisonings in humans (just recently, in

Minuscule jelly baby mushrooms (Leotia species) look like tiny gummy candy mushrooms popping up from the forest floor. They’re also called jelly bellies because they look unnervingly like the little candies. Don’t pick them up and eat them, though! They’re not dangerous, but you’d be in for an unpleasant texture surprise. They’re gelatinous and rubbery,

As we cozy up in the deep winter months, warm comfort food becomes a necessity, but that doesn’t mean dinner… The post Low-Effort, High-Comfort Winter Mushroom Meals appeared first on Mushroom Council.

The all-white, aptly named, snowy waxcap mushroom (Cuphophyllus virgineus) grows across North America in fields, lawns, and wooded areas. It is a pretty adaptable species with a very distinct look. Snowy waxcaps are edible and have a slightly nutty flavor when cooked. These mushrooms do have some tricky lookalikes, so be very diligent in your

The delicate rosy oysterling might catch your eye because it kindof looks like the sought-after edible oyster mushroom. But it gained the oysterling nickname for a reason — it’s a small mushroom, much smaller than true oysters. It’s a cool find in its own right, though, because it’s super cute.

The bitter oyster mushrooms look a lot like a baby oyster mushrooms, the delicious edible ones! Don’t get your hopes up, though—this is the bitter oyster mushroom, and it’s not a true oyster at all. Plus, it tastes pretty terrible. Still, the bitter oyster mushroom (Panellus stipticus) has its own claim to fame: it glows

Mock matsutake, also known as False Matsutake, can be confusing to identify. It closely resembles the true matsutake and often grows in the same places, but it is not the highly sought-after pine mushroom. In North America, the two main mock matsutake species are Catathelasma ventricosum and Catathelasma imperiale. These are mostly separated by region,

The club foot mushroom (Ampulloclitocybe clavipes) is pretty easy to spot thanks to its chunky, swollen stem base. It pops up all over North America, except for the southwest and the lower Rockies, where it’s either missing or super rare. Most of the time, you’ll find it hanging out under conifers, but it’s not too

Many people see mushrooms as simple organisms, but they are anything but that. The mushroom lifecycle is complex, fascinating, and something every forager and enthusiast should understand. Part of finding and foraging mushrooms is also learning their growth process, so you know when to look and what to look for, and at what stage a

Finding a great gift for the mushroom lover in your life can be challenging. We’ve got some really cool mushroom gift ideas for the 2025 holiday season, though, to make the process super simple for you! We’ve picked 10 fungi-focused presents that will impress even the most dedicated mycophiles. From practical foraging gear to charming

The poison pie mushroom (Hebeloma crustuliniforme) is an especially dangerous species due to its deceptively ordinary appearance. Don’t let bland looks fool you, though. This mushroom is trouble. In some places, these mushrooms are known as “fairy cakes” because they like to grow in vast fairy rings. This also draws attention to them and increases

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. Today, we celebrate the most captivating, umami-rich creations that have… The post Goodbye 2025, Hello Flavor: The Year’s Top 5 Mushroom Recipes appeared first on Mushroom Council.

The onion stalk parasol (Leucocoprinus cepistipes) is a distinctive mushroom. It is bright white with a bell-shaped cap and often grows in gardens and parks, where it is highly visible. Many people affectionately call it the “Rest Stop Mushroom,” because it so often appears in the neatly landscaped areas at interstate rest stops. The elegant-looking

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>The lumpy bracket mushroom is one of many bracket-forming polypores that grow on dead and decaying wood. It is commonly confused with others, but there are a few key points, namely the lumpiness of its cap, that can separate it from most other species. The lumpy bracket polypore is probably not native to North

Lepiota mushrooms are incredibly diverse and very challenging for North American foragers. There are roughly 400 species recognized worldwide, and most are whitish, with white gills and a white stem. They are hard to differentiate from dozens of other mushroom species that share these characteristics. And, it’s difficult to distinguish them from each other. They

Verpa mushrooms cause a lot of confusion during morel season. These mushrooms are closely related to morels and appear at the same time of year (spring). They are also called or grouped with the mushrooms known as “false morels.” This terminology isn’t exactly fair to Verpa mushrooms. Even though they aren’t true morels, they aren’t

The holidays are hectic in the kitchen. Cue stressed-out hosts, last-minute grocery runs and someone yelling, “Where’d I put the… The post Mushroom Hacks for Hectic Holidays appeared first on Mushroom Council.

The cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis sp.) is a relatively uncommon find and a top prized edible species. It’s also bizarre looking – it looks like someone dropped a pile of ruffled lasagna noodles in the forest. Or, a cluster of flat coral. Or, a large cauliflower vegetable head when you cut it in half. This species

Jelly rot or trembling Phlebia (Phlebia tremellosa) grows throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. It is a wood-decay fungus that spreads naturally across fallen trunks and branches of deciduous hardwoods. It sometimes appears on conifers, too. This fungus doesn’t look like a traditional mushroom; it doesn’t have a clearly defined cap, gills, or stem. Instead,

Following the great success of the first edition, we are proud to announce the Second Chinese Mushroom School, a prestigious 5-day professional training designed to strengthen knowledge, share innovations, and build bridges between Chinese and international mushroom growers. Throughout this intensive program, participants will gain deep insights into Phase II and III composting — understanding the

Get ready for three days of insight, innovation, and inspiration! Kick off with farm visits on November 5, followed by an intensive two-day course on November 6–7 that dives deep into the science and technology behind modern mushroom production. Inspiring Opening Session and Program Briefing Phase I: The biological foundations of pre-composting The science of

The silky rosegill mushroom (Volvariella bombycina) is an elegant species that grows from wounds in maple and elm trees. Finding this mushroom is a special treat – it is beautiful, and its transition from egg to a giant, white, umbrella-like cap is very cool to see. This tree mushroom is found throughout Eurasia, Australia, North

The vibrant orange to pink, wrinkled crust fungus (Phlebia radiata) often looks like someone splattered it on the tree. It is a bizarre mushroom, and absolutely fascinating. The bright coloring and wrinkled surface make it one of many eccentric fungi among the weird and wonderful mushrooms in the fungi kingdom. The wrinkled crust fruits on

The brown roll rim mushroom (Paxillus involutus) is a funnel-shaped mushroom with edges that are very tucked under. This is a very common mushroom in northern North America, and it has a very distinctive look. The brown roll rim was once considered edible. But there have been several fatalities from eating this species, so be

The blushing rosette mushroom (Abortiporus biennis) is a weird and wild mushroom. It’s not edible, but it is a super neat find. You may find it in its normal polypore form, or in its aborted form, which is wildly different. There has been a lot of confusion over the years with this species (and other

The veiled polypore (Cryptoporus volvatus) looks like a white blob popping out of a conifer tree. It looks like a little puffball, except it’s hard and often shiny. It’s hard to tell it’s even a fungus at all, at first glance. This species causes lots of confusion, even among experienced foragers.

The yellow earth tongue (Spathularia flavida) is small, but it really stands out because it has a yellow, spatula-shaped body. This little mushroom, just 2-5 inches in height, and looks exactly like its common name — a thin yellow tongue sticking out from the earth. Maybe this is a sign of Mother Nature’s sense of

If you’ve found this weird and wonderful wild edible mushroom, you’re in for a treat. Shrimp of the woods mushrooms are a top favorite for many foragers. It looks like an all-white version of an ocean shrimp and has a dense texture and lightly seafood-esque taste.

The hairy oyster mushroom (Panus neostrigosus or Lentinus strigosus) fruits on logs and stumps across North America and around the world. It easily catches the eye because the cap is strangely fuzzy and distinctly purplish-red when young, although the color later fades. Hairy oyster mushrooms break down dead hardwood and play a vital role in

There’s a lot of weird in the fungi world, and Hypomyces fungi are the source of a lot of funky happenings. Hypomyces species essentially hijack their fungal hosts, altering their appearance so dramatically that identifying the original mushroom becomes nearly impossible. They are parasites that attack and transform other mushrooms into something totally different from