Mushrooms can be delicious, and being able to find them naturally in your own community -- like you can here in Michigan -- is an extra special treat for fungi lovers.
With mushroom hunting season underway, many are specifically on the lookout for the elusive morel mushrooms. But did you know that there are only four “true morel” species that are actually safe to eat?
There are multiple morel mushroom look-alikes that are not edible. In fact, across Michigan, there are at least 50 species of mushrooms that are considered poisonous.
Out of the 2,500 species of large wild mushrooms that grow in Michigan, experts say some of them can cause mild illness and discomfort, while some poisonous ones can be deadly.
It is believed that 60-100 species of wild mushrooms that grow in Michigan are considered edible, but even these can cause illness and require strict scrutiny and preparation -- and that includes the beloved morels.
By that count, there are thousands of mushroom species in Michigan that scientists still don’t know everything about. So, before you start picking wild mushrooms, it’s important to be prepared for your own safety.
---> Michigan morel mushroom season: Map shows where to hunt for them
Don’t go in blind
You should only go hunting for mushrooms if you are with a wild mushroom expert, or you yourself are quite familiar with mushroom species, according to Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, aka CANR.
The reason? The only way to know if a mushroom is edible or poisonous is to examine its physical characteristics and identify its species, experts say. This requires a knowledge of the characteristics of wild mushrooms -- and there are a lot of different kinds -- and knowing which ones are dangerous.
There are also tons of mushroom look-alikes, making it even more important to know exactly what you’re looking for. What you think is an edible wild mushroom may actually be a similar-looking dupe that is toxic to eat.
Before going mushroom hunting in Michigan, do your research. There are several guides and books available that can help you learn how to identify and handle mushrooms. Some institutions, like MSU and the University of Michigan, offer workshops on edible and poisonous Michigan mushrooms, and even include guided mushroom hunts.
MSU also references the Michigan Mushroom Hunters’ Club, which is comprised of amateur mushroom hunters who go looking together during mushroom season, as a group to learn from.
Identifying morel mushrooms in Michigan
Yes, the elusive morels. What everyone’s on the hunt for.
There are some morel look-alikes that you must avoid, however. It’s a good idea to know what types of morels are edible, and what their characteristics are.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, “true morel” species -- those that are edible -- include the white morel (morchella americana), the black morel (morchella angusticeps), the half-free morel (morchella punctipes) and the burn-site morel (morchella exuberans).
You can see photos of these morel species below, courtesy of the Michigan DNR.
Here’s a breakdown of the true morel mushrooms’ characteristics, as written by the Michigan DNR:
White morel (morchella americana)
The common morel, often called the white or gray morel. Its color varies from light cream to gray to yellowish-brown depending on habitat and age. The hollow cap is attached to the stalk at base. The common morel is perhaps the easiest of all edible spring mushrooms to recognize, and is therefore widely collected.
The white morel fruits in the latter half of May. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, primarily under hardwoods, including old orchards, beech-maple forests, oak woods, burned-over meadows and occasionally lawns. Occasionally found associated with conifers, especially white pine.
Edible.
Black morel (morchella angusticeps)
The popular black morel, or eastern black morel. Its color varies from gray in young specimens to almost black in older ones. Its hollow cap is attached to the stalk at the lower edge and can be up to seven inches tall.
Black morels are usually the first true morels to appear in spring, fruiting in early to mid-May under ash, aspen, cherry and occasionally under pines. The crop often peaks when serviceberry bushes are in full bloom.
Edible.
Warning: Cases of stomach upset have been recorded when this species was eaten in large quantities or consumed with alcoholic beverages.
Half-free morel (morchella punctipes)
Commonly called the “half-free” morel because the cap is detached from the stalk about halfway down, resembling a skirt. It is similar in color and general appearance to the white morel but is usually smaller.
The half-free morel fruits abundantly about one year in three on moist humus in oak-hickory and beech-maple forests.
Edible.
Do not mistake this species for “verpa” species of false morels, whose caps are totally free-hanging.
Burn-site morel (morchella exuberans)
The burn-site morel may appear in conifer forests the first year after a fire, and more rarely two years after. Its hollow caps are conical or nearly round, and on mature caps, ridges are dark brown to black in color.
Edible - take care to remove any ash residue on the mushrooms.
Beware ‘false morels’
Even edible morels, like those listed above, can cause gastrointestinal distress if eaten raw, according to MSU’s CANR.
There are a number of look-alike species, called “false morels,” that are not edible. These mushrooms fall under the Verpa species and the Gyromitra species.
Here’s a look at two types of false morels and their characteristics, as writen by the Michigan DNR:
Gyromitra species
Not edible.
Several species of Gyromitra mushrooms are sometimes found growing with or close to the true morels.
A common problem in Michigan is Gyromitra esculenta, the “beefsteak morel,” (above) which is very abundant in some springs and has been accidentally or purposefully collected and eaten by people. Analysis has shown that this mushroom contains the chemical gyromitrin, which our digestive system converts into monomethylhydrazine, which is both a toxin and carcinogen. Some of the same people who had consumed this species safely for several years have suffered acute poisoning, and a few have died.
The beefsteak morel can be differentiated from a true morel by its solid stem, often brain-like shape and a dark reddish color that develops as it ages.
Verpa species
(DNR did not provide photo)
The easiest way to differentiate the false morels (verpa species) from the true morels (morchella) is to check to see if the cap connects to the stalk. Free-hanging varieties should not be eaten.
Type: Verpa bohemica
Not edible.
Often mistaken for the black morel, verpa bohemica appears in late April before trees and shrubs have leafed out. Caps are dark brown and hang completely free of the stalk, like a full skirt. Fruits in rich, moist soils, often along stream banks and swamp edges.
Type: Verpa conica
Not edible.
Smaller than bohemica and fruits a few days later. Caps hang free of the stalk. Often grows in forests of mixed conifers and hardwoods, under wild cherry trees and in old apple orchards.
Click here to learn more about identifying morels from the Michigan DNR.
Breaking mushroom myths
If you’re new to mushroom hunting, you may need to forget some things you’ve heard about the fungi.
In their “Don’t Pick Poison: When Gathering Mushrooms for Food in Michigan” bulletin, the CANR’s Heather Hallen identifies four ideas people have about mushrooms that are completely untrue. Here’s the list, as written by Hallen:
Experts say to never eat a wild mushroom raw, and to have the mushroom identified by an expert before consuming.
If you do plan to eat a wild mushroom, it’s a good idea to save a whole, uncooked specimen that can help doctors or biologists to identify the species consumed, should an illness occur.
You can read the CANR’s entire “Don’t Pick Poison: When Gathering Mushrooms for Food in Michigan” bulletin from 2015 below. It goes into further detail about why mushrooms are poisonous, the types of symptoms they can cause, the types of toxins they generate, and more.