Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Nevada
Nestled in the heart of the Southwest, Nevada offers diverse environments ranging from arid deserts to lush forests. This diverse landscape presents a unique habitat, teeming with a variety of edible mushroom species. From the distinct flavors to the various culinary uses, this guide will introduce you to the top 20 commonly found mushrooms in Nevada, enhancing your mycological knowledge with credible and well-documented information. Dive into a world of unexpected flavors and textures, unique appearances, and distinctive habitats each of these fungi call home. Join us as we journey through Nevada's delectable fungal biodiversity.
* Disclaimer: Content feedback CAN NOT be used as any basis for EATING ANY PLANTS. Some plants can be VERY POISONOUS, please purchase edible plants through regular channels.
Most Popular Edible Mushrooms
1. Giant sawgill
The impressively large caps of the giant sawgill (Neolentinus ponderosus) can spread up 30 cm across and encompass entire decaying stumps and logs. Unlike other mushrooms, the giant sawgill thrives in the hotter, drier months. Look for them near Ponderosa Pines.
2. Sculpted puffball
Sculpted puffball is an eye-catching and unique puffball that appears to have been sculpted with pyramidal warts, giving rise to its name. Sculpted puffball fruits during the late spring/early summer in the soil of conifer forests at altitude. It can be mistaken for the larger C. subsculpta.
3. 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.”
4. Spring coccora
The spring coccora (Amanita vernicoccora), as the name suggests, erupts from the earth as one of the first Amanita of the year. It loves to feast on decaying leaf litter but enjoys that of oak trees the most. It used to be classified as the same mushroom as its cousin, the Fall Amanita, but research has determined it is a unique species.
5. Floccularia Albolanaripes
Associated with conifers of the Rocky Mountains, the floccularia Albolanaripes can be found prominently during fall rains from fall to winter. It has a vibrant yellow orange-brown cap when young, developing into a drab yellowish-brown in its maturity.
6. Questionable stropharia
The questionable stropharia is an odd-looking species that thrives in rich, wet soils along the western coast of North America. The species sports a shiny, yellow-brown cap with a white partial veil that looks almost as though it is dripping off the cap. "Questionable" is a fair title for this species, about which there are conflicting reports on edibility. Most experts recommend staying on the safe side and avoiding eating this mushroom.
7. Poor man's slippery jack
The poor man's slippery jack is a relatively new mushroom species to be identified by scientists - it was first described in 1964. The species is exclusively associated with pine forests, particularly with 3-needle pines, unlike its close cousin Suillus tomentosus that is associated with 2-needle pines. The poor man's slippery jack doesn't bruise blue, while Suillus tomentosus does.
8. Big sheath mushroom
These large white mushrooms bloom all over cleared, harvested fields, as well as pastures and roadsides. The scientific species name comes from Greek words meaning “glue” (glioio) and “head” (cephalus), in reference to the sticky surface of this mushroom’s cap. The big sheath mushroom looks so similar to the poisonous Deathcap and Destroying Angel mushrooms that it should always be left alone.
9. Blewit
The blewit mushroom grows in fallen leaves in autumn and winter, sometimes appearing in ‘fairy ring’ circles. It can be used to make a green dye when chopped and boiled in an iron pot. The scientific name, Lepista nuda, derives from Latin words meaning “bare goblet,” a reference to the shape and texture of the mushroom.
10. Western amethyst laccaria
The western amethyst laccaria is a beautiful species that is a very close cousin of Laccaria amethysteo. Like Laccaria amethysteo, the western amethyst laccaria boasts a cap and stalk that are of lavender or purple. Unlike Laccaria amethysteo, Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis' range spreads across western North America, and is associated with conifers, rather than hardwoods. The species is considered edible, but not choice.
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