How Do You Know If a Mushroom in the Wild Is Safe to Eat?

If you grew up in the countryside and went to pick mushrooms when you were a kid, you probably already know that there’s a big problem associated with mushrooms: some of them are downright dangerous. We’re not talking about the psychedelic ones which might give you some transcendental experiences and then the effect wears off. We’re talking about actual, unsafe, poisonous mushrooms that can kill anyone who has the misfortune of consuming them.

Learning to identify dangerous species of mushrooms is very essential, especially if you want to grow and cultivate your own mushrooms. Fortunately, as you get the hang of it and you gain some valuable knowledge, you will know how to distinguish between species that are safe and those that are not. You can buy mushroom spores from reputable suppliers like Shaman Mushroom Spores.

The Amanita mushrooms are among the most dangerous. They can have light red, gray, orange, yellow and white colors, and their characteristics include a unique, umbrella-shaped cap that is extremely dry and usually covered in warts or scales. Also, the warts tend to be arranged in rows, and there can be a bulbous base, which is a good way to detect most types of Amanitam mushrooms.

These distinguishing factors will help you detect Amanita mushrooms before anyone tries to cook and eat them. A similar approach should be taken when it comes to going into detail and detecting the characterizing factors that distinguish other dangerous species as well – such as the Deadly Dapperling (Lepiota brunneoincarnata), the Autumn Skullcap (Galerina marginata) or the notorious Webcaps (Cortinarius species).