Top Five Poisonous Mushrooms to Know (in the Upper Midwest)

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Top Five Poisonous Mushrooms to Know (in the Upper Midwest)

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Mushroom Anxiety

Fear of mushrooms seems quite commonplace, even in foraging circles. I frequently hear students in my classes say something along the lines of, “I would love to pick mushrooms, but I’m scared of accidentally poisoning myself!” This statement is sometimes directed towards plants or foraging in general, but it seems to come up much more often in relation to mushrooms specifically.

Why the fear? While there certainly are poisonous mushrooms out on the landscape that should absolutely not be eaten, they make up a small percentage of all mushroom species. Furthermore, no mushrooms are dangerous to touch, unlike plants. (A few folks experience allergic reactions from touching certain mushroom species, but this is exceedingly rare.) Finally, mushrooms won’t sneak into your mouth when you’re not looking—you have to actively decide they are safe to consume and then prepare and eat them. There is no danger in picking mushrooms to learn more about them.

The United States is widely regarded as a mycophobic society, meaning one that fears and avoids wild mushrooms and associates them with poison and death. This is in contrast to other cultures like those of Eastern European countries, who on the whole celebrate and enjoy mushrooms. It can take a bit of critical self-reflection and training to unlearn patterns passed down from a mycophobic culture. But it is certainly possible!

You may find it counter-intuitive to reduce your fear of mushrooms by learning about the most toxic ones. But I believe that studying poisonous species alongside edible ones is imperative to developing a safe and balanced foraging practice. When you know which similar-looking species to avoid, it builds confidence in your identification skills. And maybe you’ll even start to develop feelings of fascination for these strange beings!

Poisonous Plant Pals Webinar

If you feel anxiety about poisonous plants and mushrooms while foraging, you are not alone! I recommend checking out my Poisonous Plant Pals webinar to gain familiarity with common toxic species while (hopefully) developing some appreciation for them. You will learn about identification and toxicity of poisonous plants and mushrooms, as well as edible varieties that are considered “look-alikes.” The focus is on Minnesota species, though most folks living in the eastern and central regions of the US and Canada will benefit from this knowledge.

While I don’t currently have a live version of this webinar coming up, you can access the slide deck and recording through Patreon! Simply become a member at any level (starting at only $2/month) to unlock the post.

Top Five Poisonous Mushrooms to Know (in the Upper Midwest)

In the meantime, here is my top five list! What did I miss? Are there any that you would have included instead? Let me know in the comments below!

Destroying Angel (Amanita bisporigera)

This beautiful species grows from a universal veil, which completely covers the young mushroom and looks like a soft egg. As the mushroom matures, the veil breaks apart, but a remnant (called a volva) typically persists until maturity as a sack-like base. This volva may be buried in the soil, so it is important to carefully extract the mushroom from the ground for identification purposes.

The cap, gills, and stem are stark white, though they may discolor a bit with age. The gills are close to crowded and free or nearly free from the stem. Look for a skirt-like ring on the stem, which is the remnant of the partial veil—a membrane that covers the gills when young but breaks apart with age.

Destroying angels contain amatoxins, one of nature's deadliest poisons. They gradually shut down the liver and kidneys. Initial symptoms usually appear within 24 hours of ingestion and include vomiting and bloody diarrhea. This is often followed by a period of false remission, in which the victim appears to feel better, but in reality their liver and kidneys are being destroyed. Death occurs in 10-60% of amatoxin cases and can take 3 -7 days.

Destroying Angel Identification→

Amatoxin Mushroom Toxicity→

Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria var. guessowii)

While our local fly agaric has a yellowish or red-orange cap, this is the same species as the classic toadstool with a bright red cap and white spots.

Fly agaric mushrooms are entheogenic, edible, and toxic. They contain ibotenic acid, which transforms into the psychoactive compound muscimol. Muscimol affects the central nervous system, and in cases of severe poisoning may cause coma or death. Safe ingestion requires careful identification and preparation and is only for very experienced foragers!

Like the destroying angel, fly agaric mushrooms grow from a universal veil. Remnants remain on the cap, creating whitish or yellowish warts. Instead of a volva, the base of the stem flares to a bulb, and concentric bands of universal veil remain at the top of the bulb. They also have a partial veil that covers the gills when young. As the mushroom matures, the cap expands and breaks this membrane, leaving a skirt-like ring on the stem.

Fly Agaric Identification→

Forager Chef Article on Fly Agaric→

Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata)

Commonly referred to as an “LBM” (Little Brown Mushroom), this inconspicuous mushroom packs one of nature’s most deadly poisons—amatoxins. (See the destroying angel description above for more details.)

The cap is convex when young, earning it the name “funeral bell.” With age it expands and flattens, often become two-toned as it dries. A thin ring or ring zone can often be found on the stem, though this may disappear with age. Importantly, the spore print is rusty brown, which is vital in distinguishing it from edible mushrooms that can look similar, such as young honey mushrooms (Armillaria spp.) or velvet foot (Flammulina velutipes), which both have white spore prints.

This little mushroom is most frequent in spring and fall. As a saprobe or decomposer, it grows from dead hardwoods and conifers.

Deadly Galerina Identification→

Mushroom Appreciation Article on the Funeral Bell Mushroom→

Jack O'Lantern (Omphalotus illudens)

This aptly-named mushroom glows in the dark when fresh! The orange cap, gills, stem, and flesh also call to mind pumpkins and jack o’lanterns. While beautiful, these mushrooms contain gastric irritants as well as muscarine, a toxin that may require hospitalization, but rarely causes fatalities. Muscarine poisoning shows an array of symptoms, including salivation, urination, gastric upset, vomiting, profuse sweating, and difficulty breathing.

Jack o’lanterns are most often confused with chanterelles, delicious edible mushrooms that grow from the forest floor in summer. However, jack o’lanterns have true gills, which are thin and blade-like, unlike the thicker folds or ridges on chanterelles. Furthermore, the flesh of chanterelles is white, not orange; and they have a fruity smell similar to apricots, while the smell of jack o’lanterns is not distinct. Finally, jack o’lanterns grow in large clusters from wood, while chanterelles grow from soil singly, in pairs, or in loose groups. However, note that the wood associated with jack o’lanterns may be buried, so they may appear to grow from the soil at times. It is therefore important to always cross-reference multiple identification features!

Jack O’Lantern Identification→

Forager Chef Article on Jack O’Lantern Mushrooms→

Green-Spored Parasol (Chlorophyllum molybdites)

This common summer and fall mushroom often grows in fairy rings from lawns and meadows. Probably due to its large size and propensity to grow in lawns, it is frequently eaten and causes moderate to severe cases of poisoning. Its alias “the vomiter” alludes to the symptoms; though rarely fatal, ingesting this mushroom causes vomiting, diarrhea, chills, intestinal pain, stomach ache, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and in some cases convulsions.

To identify, look for a whitish mushroom with brownish scales on the cap. The stem is thick, slightly enlarged at the base, and features a whitish ring. Gills are free from the stem or slightly attached, white when young, turning gray-green to brown-green with maturity. This greenish color gives the mushroom its common name and also represents the easiest way to identify it—by the greenish or dull olive spore print.

Several white edible mushrooms that grow from the ground may be confused with green-spored parasol, including the American parasol (Leucoagaricus americanus) and the shaggy parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes). These mushrooms are therefore only recommended for highly experienced foragers.

Green-Spored Parasol Identification→

Foraged Foodie Article on Green-Spored Parasol→

Green-Spored Parasol Toxicity→

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