Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Laurel

1. Lion's Mane Mushroom

Lion's Mane Mushroom(Hericium erinaceus) is easily identifiable by its characteristic appearance, reminiscent of the majestic mane of a lion. It often sprouts along hardwoods, which may be living or dead. Scientists thus debate whether this species is truly parasitic or merely saprophytic in nature.

2. 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.

3. Red chanterelle

Red chanterelles can be found growing within hardwood forests across eastern North America. These small but striking mushrooms range from orange to red to pink in color. Edible and boasting complex flavors, many chanterelles are highly sought after. The red chanterelle, though less famous than some of its close relatives, is no exception. This species can be used in all sorts of recipes, with a vaguely sweet or piney taste.

4. 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.

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. Indigo milk cap

This gorgeous species is unlike any other. The indigo milk cap, a member of the often-drab russula family, is deep blue in color. Like other milk caps, it bleeds a latex-like substance when cut or damaged, but instead of the usual white this species bleeds deep blue.

7. Snow fungus

Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) is so-named not because it is associated with winter, but, rather, because its fruitbodies look like little piles of snow fungus on the ground. This fungus actually inhabits very warm - tropical and subtropical - locations around the globe. Snow fungus does not have much taste, but it is cultivated for culinary use across East Asia, where it is often added to thicken soups and desserts.

8. Eastern cauliflower mushroom

The appropriately named eastern cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis spathulata) looks strikingly like a cauliflower head but with more pronounced ridges that make up the cap. This rosette-shaped, quite large mushroom is white to tan in color and is found around older oak trees.

9. Old man of the woods

Native to Europe and North America, old man of the woods(Strobilomyces strobilaceus) is notable for its unusual coloring and texture, which visually resembles dark, overlapping scales against a white base. Interestingly, this mushroom has been depicted on a Swiss postal stamp worth fifty centimes.

10. Oyster mushroom

Oyster mushrooms grow wild but are also cultivated for sale in supermarkets. They can even be cultivated at home. They will grow on coffee grounds and spent grain, and are occasionally even fashioned into an environmentally-friendly substitute for styrofoam. There are several toxic look-alike species, so it is best to buy these mushrooms at the store.

11. Aborted entoloma

The aborted entoloma's name is a bit of a misnomer. Originally, it was thought that this drab mushroom was commonly parasitized by mushrooms in the Amallaria family, which caused "aborted", globular caps to form. However, it turns out that the aborted entoloma is in fact the parasite, and the "aborted" caps are the true victims, the Amallarias!

12. Ornate-stalked bolete

This beautiful, vivid species commonly associates with oaks and hickories. Like other members of the bolete family, the ornate-stalked bolete has a thick stalk and a bulbous cap - in this particular species, both are usually a bright yellow.

13. 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.

14. 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.”

15. Beefsteak fungus

Beefsteak fungus(Fistulina hepatica) is an unusual fungus that visually resembles a slab of raw meat; cutting into it will cause a discharge of thick red liquid resembling blood, adding to this resemblance.

16. Amber jelly roll

The common name says it all. The fruitbody of the "willow brain" fungus, found most often growing on willows, has a folded, gelatinous form which indeed makes it look similar to a brain. Amber jelly roll (Exidia recisa) can be found in moist environments in North and Central America, Europe, and Asia.

17. Blusher

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.

18. Honey fungus

The honey fungus is a parasitic fungus that grows on the roots of many woody and perennial plants, damaging and possibly killing its host. It spreads underground and is considered to be the most damaging fungal disease in gardens across the UK. The appearance of the mushrooms above-ground heralds a much more extensive infection below.

19. Dead man's foot

Dead man's foot (Pisolithus arhizus) actually bears a number of colorful names stemming from its unusual appearance, such as the horse dung fungus (Australia). It can be distilled into a viscous black gel, which is then used as a natural dye for clothing. It is considered to be inedible.

20. Common puffball

These puffy mushrooms grow in small groups on the forest floor. Once they're mature, common puffballs turn yellow and "puff out" smoke-like spore clouds when disturbed. Be very careful when identifying these mushrooms, as their young, immature form looks very similar to the lethal Deathcap.

Cookie Name	Source	Purpose	Lifespan
_ga	Google Analytics	These cookies are set because of our use of Google Analytics. They are used to collect information about your use of our application/website. The cookies collect specific information, such as your IP address, data related to your device and other information about your use of the application/website. Please note that the data processing is essentially carried out by Google LLC and Google may use your data collected by the cookies for own purposes, e.g. profiling and will combine it with other data such as your Google Account. For more information about how Google processes your data and Google’s approach to privacy as well as implemented safeguards for your data, please see here.	1 Year
_pta	PictureThis Analytics	We use these cookies to collect information about how you use our site, monitor site performance, and improve our site performance, our services, and your experience.	1 Year

Cookie Name	Source	Purpose	Lifespan
_fbp	Facebook Pixel	A conversion pixel tracking that we use for retargeting campaigns. Learn more here.	1 Year
_adj	Adjust	This cookie provides mobile analytics and attribution services that enable us to measure and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, certain events and actions within the Application. Learn more here.	1 Year