Top 20 Most Common Mushrooms in Darien

1. Dryad's saddle

A familiar sight to spring morel hunters, dryad's saddle is noteworthy for its large size, striking scales, and watermelon-like smell. Similar to other mushrooms in the bracket fungi family, dryad's saddle can be used to make paper. Younger mushrooms are better suited for this purpose due to their smaller and more consistent fibers.

2. Turkey tail

The distinctively-striped turkey tail fungus grows on stumps and logs all over the forests of the northern hemisphere. It is, in fact, probably the most common species you will find. That doesn't mean this mushroom is plain, however; each cap is uniquely patterned. Look for bands of alternating textures as well as color.

3. Chicken of the woods

Chicken of the woods is very noticeable in hardwood forests, appearing in clusters on standing tree trunks in bright orange and yellow hues that sometimes last through the entire winter. It is a parasite that causes an unfortunate brown heart rot, and is considered a particularly troublesome pest of Yew trees. If the fruitbodies can be seen, the tree is likely already beyond saving.

4. White jelly fungus

Unlike other jelly mushrooms, which are typically found on fresh deadwood, white jelly fungus grows on well-decayed wood from hardwood trees. Its fruiting body is indeed white, fading to muted brown hues with age. Its shape has garnered a wide range of comparisons, from brains to popcorn to coral.

5. Pear-shaped puffball

The mushrooms of this species grow in such tight clusters that they may cover fallen trees and stumps almost entirely in a brownish, puffy coat. Pear-shaped puffballs appear all around the northern hemisphere on decaying hardwoods from fall through winter.

6. Split gill

Split gill(Schizophyllum commune) can be found across the globe. Uniquely, it is the only mushroom species known to display the capability to retract by movement. It is considered inedible, although not necessarily toxic. Furthermore, it is not recommended to smell this species, as the spores are capable of sprouting and growing in nasal passages.

7. Black knot

The appearance of black knot (Apiosporina morbosa) is commonly found on various fruit-bearing trees and looks more like abnormally growing bark than it does a fungus. In youth, this bulbous growth is a lighter green but rapidly turns to dark brown and black. Black knot can kill trees and is not easily controllable using fungicides.

8. Giant puffball

These distinctive round, white fungi appear around the world in fields and at the edges of wooded areas. Living up to its name, a single giant puffball can grow as large as a watermelon. They have no stems, and produce trillions of spores that release into the air through holes in “puffs.” They have been used as slow-burning tinder and produce copious smoke when set aflame. Giant puffballs are technically edible, but should only be consumed when the mushroom is young and firm.

9. Crown-tipped coral

Crown-tipped coral(Artomyces pyxidatus) is a widespread but uncommon species in North America and Western Europe whose Latin name, meaning "box-like," is inspired by its structure. It is one of the few coral fungi to fruit on wood. After a period of absence lasting over a century, it has recently reappeared in Great Britain.

10. Artist's conk

This shelf fungus can live for several consecutive years and can be dated by the growth ridges seen on its dark surface. Artist's conk grows in tiered groups at the bases of oak, beech, and conifers, as well as deadwood. When its spores release, they cover the area with visible brown dust. Scratches in the white undersurface create dark lines.

11. Mica cap

The bell-shaped mica cap mushrooms grow in clusters on wood debris and stumps, from spring to autumn. The caps appear wet and inky once they mature and begin to release spores. At that point, they can be boiled with cloves to create a useful black ink.

12. Shaggy mane

The shaggy mane mushroom is commonly found in North American and European grasslands. Some peoples foraged for its young egg-shaped caps, but it has more recently been found to be a bioaccumulator of heavy metals, meaning it pulls toxic metals up from the soil where it grows. As a result, shaggy manes should not be eaten. The mushrooms usually appear in clusters or “fairy rings.”

13. Violet-toothed polypore

This inedible shelf or bracket fungus grows in overlapping clusters and layers on hardwood stumps and fallen logs. It also causes a sapwood rot in standing trees. Check under the violet-toothed polypore's cap for its secret lilac-shaded pore surface studded with descending “teeth.”

14. Milk-white toothed polypore

The milk-white toothed polypore (Irpex lacteus) is a tough polypore that has jagged, tooth-like ridges on its underside. Considered a "crust fungus," this species often coats the surfaces of dead branches and tree boles. A hardy generalist, the milk-white toothed polypore can be found in remote and urban areas alike. It has a global distribution, being found just about anywhere temperate forests are located.

15. Jack-o'lantern mushroom

The jack-o'lantern mushroom is so-called because of its bright orange color, and because it often appears in the fall (usually before Halloween, though). This vibrant little mushroom can be found growing on decaying hardwood stumps and logs. The species does have some superficial resemblances to the highly edible chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), but it is toxic and should be avoided!

16. Cedar-apple rust

The vividly-colored fruitbodies of cedar-apple rust (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae) might be mistaken for flowers, from a distance. Upon closer inspection they can be identified as fungal growths attacking the fruit of cedar trees. Their microscopic spores can travel up to an astounding 5 miles when carried on the wind and infect cedars quite far away, weakening the trees as they grow.

17. Hexagonal-pored polypore

The name says it all! This species' most distinguishing feature is its pores, which are six (or sometimes four) sided and give the mushroom's undersides an almost honeycomb-like appearance. Found across North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe, hexagonal-pored polypores prefer to grow on dead hardwood trees. Most sources consider this mushroom to be inedible, though non-toxic.

18. Hen-of-the-woods

Often found at the base of oak trees, this clustered fungus grows in distinctive rosettes. It attacks the roots of living hardwood trees. Hen-of-the-woods is considered edible when harvested young, and is cultivated in Japan on top of compressed sawdust.

19. False turkey-tail

A common woodland fungus found across North America, the false turkey-tail thrives in wet environs and can be found in copious quantities on decaying wood. The species is so-called because it looks similar the also-common Turkey Tail (Tremetes versicolor) - both species grow in thin, roughly semi-circular sheets. False turkey-tails have tough, woody bodies and are considered to be inedible.

20. Dead man's fingers

This appropriately named mushroom, the dead man's fingers (Xylaria polymorpha), has a distinctive cap that resembles blackened fingers that emerge where rotting woods comes in contact with the ground. They can mature to a hand-height tall, and transform from a dark blue hue to black as they stretch skyward. The ugly appearance and high toxicity should repel any potential forager from harvesting.

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