Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Georgia

One of the first mushrooms to appear in the spring, the scarlet cup sometimes pops out of snow. Definitely a cool-season mushroom, the scarlet cup also prefers areas with high rainfall. It forms large colonies and it's very abundant. Slugs and various rodents like to feed on this mushroom.

Silky sheaths (Volvariella bombycina) are widely distributed, being found in temperate and sub-tropical forests around the world, but rare. The fruitbody emerges from a silky-textured volva, and the mushroom's white or off-white cap is usually quite smooth as well. One of this species' favored microhabitats is the rotted knotholes of mature maples, elms, oaks, or beeches.

The fan- or spoon-shaped fruit bodies of S. flavida may be up to 8 cm (3.1 in) high, although a range between 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) is more typical. Occasionally, fruit bodies are produced with the "head" split into two separate lobes. The color is light to strong yellow, the flattened fertile area at times paler; the color tends to deepen with the age of the fruit body. The fertile area (the region that produces spores) is often irregularly wrinkled and sometimes notched at apex, and is up to 2 cm (0.8 in) wide; it tapers down the length of either side of the stem (i.e., decurrently) from a half to a third of the total stem length. The division between the head and the stem is sharply defined. The stem is hollow, smooth (glabrous), and has a white to yellowish mycelium at its base. The flesh of the fruit body is whitish, but becomes yellowish-brown when dry. The edibility of Spathularia flavida is variously described as untested, unknown, or "edible, but rather tough". The small size would likely discourage table use. The odor and taste are not distinctive.

The amethyst deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) is a breathtaking mushroom that pops up from coniferous forest floors. The caps are a striking violet color in youth and are generally flat with a small indentation when the stem connects. As they mature, this violet color transforms to a less than breathtaking grey color, making it quite hard to identify after a certain age positively. Not edible.

The red cracking bolete mushroom is considered difficult to accurately identify, due to its similarity in many ways to others of its genus. It seems to occur only rarely around the northern hemisphere, but it may have been misclassified in some sources. In spite of the name, the surface of the red cracking bolete's cap only rarely appears "cracked."

Found in clearings and grassy areas in late summer, the wild parasol mushroom has a snakeskin-patterned stem. The brown spots on its cap make it look a bit shaggy, but that name is reserved for its poisonous counterpart, the Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes). You can distinguish the two by the stems: the latter has a smooth stem and red flesh inside.

Extremely popular in many cuisines, this edible wild mushroom grows around the world near the roots of forest trees. In some regions, king bolete mushrooms are collected in great enough volumes that their sale can support entire families during the harvest season. King boletes are reported to be high in fiber, vitamins B and C, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and several antioxidants.

The blusher mushroom is so named because it “blushes” to a pinkish red color when cut or bruised. It is found in many countries around the world, although it may not be native to the southern hemisphere. It contains a hemolytic toxin that can cause anemia if eaten.

The early morel can be found in wooded areas of North America, Asia, and Europe. It is called the Early morel because it is one of the first mushrooms to emerge early in spring. It is distinctive for its wrinkled and thimble-like cap.

The distinctive jelly ear grows mainly through winter and spring, mostly on the dead trunks and branches of elder trees. It occurs around the world and is often cooked into dishes in Asian countries. This ear-shaped jelly mushroom is often available in stores both fresh and dried.