Mushroom of the Woods – Blushing Wood Mushroom
One of my nearby local parks has a great selection of tree species, scattered beautifully across its modest expanse. It was here that I came across a mushroom more typically found in a woodland setting.
Although not in woodland, these Blushing Wood Mushrooms (Agaricus silvaticus) had set a comfy foothold near several coniferous trees, enough to satisfy their happy mychorizzal relationship. They were scattered in a small group, so I didn’t want to over pick, just wanted sample a few of these edible and ‘good’ mushrooms.
These mushrooms are quite easy to miss as the scaly ochre-brown caps tend to blend into the background of soil and fallen needles. Luckily, a few tufts of grass helped me spot them easily.
Initially I discovered the larger, more mature examples growing at my feet, with brown/dark brown crowded gills under wide, flat caps; up to 10cm across. So I sought out the younger specimens nearby to see what I was dealing with.
After seeing the reddening on the damaged and exposed flesh, the colour of the gills (pale in young to darker brown when mature), I knew it was an Agaricus species. Iinitially I wasn’t 100% sure it was A.silvaticus because I knew the Scaly Wood Mushroom (Agaricus langei) was so similar. Also, I’d only ever seen A.silvaticus before in woodland scenarios. But this A.langei lookalike was slightly bugging me; its flesh also turns red on cutting/exposing the flesh, but happening more slowly. In the end I was satisfied it was A.silvaticus because the reddening here occurred much quicker. And from a foragers point of view, being unsure whether it was either of the two, they are both edible and good. A smell test will help confirm too; the more stocky A.langei has a distinctive pleasant ‘mushroomy’ smell where as the Blushing Wood mushroom is nothing special – quite bland and indistinctive.
Edibility with surprising health benefits
I wanted to find out more about their edibility, possibly to find any recipes that may be floating around the internet. I know many edible mushrooms are very nutritional, and some which have very impressive health benefits. But I didn’t suspect this species was one of them.
As part of a balanced diet, Blushing Wood Mushrooms are being used to help in the recovery of cancer patients. Along with a high proportion of protein, they also contains a high content of essential minerals, making it a very effective supplement with great antioxidant power. To read further see the article on ‘Wild Foodism’: What Agaricus silvaticus, The Blushing Wood Mushroom, Does For Cancer Patients.
With health benefits like this, it makes things all the better – they were a tasty addition to my fry up (or grill up – doing my best to be extra healthy – or not!). But I must apologise because this has been a delayed post, and if you’re reading it close to when published (ie. late November) you may have to wait until next summer/autumn for a chance to find them again. Sorry!
QUICK ID TABLE: BLUSHING WOOD MUSHROOM Agaricus silvaticus |
CAP / FLESH 5-11cm across, covered in light brown fibrils which expand into larger soft flat scales. Initially rounded, expanding flat. Flesh is white, quickly turning red when cut. Bland, indistinctive smell. STEM 5-8cm x 1-1.2cm. Whitish. Ring 3/4 up, sometimes with brown fibrous scales beneath. GILLS / SPORE PRINT Pale when young, then reddish, eventually brown at maturity. HABITAT / SEASON In mixed woods, or parks near trees. Summer to autumn. EDIBILITY Edible and good. LOOKALIKES Scaly Wood Mushroom (A. langei) |
The Genus AGARICUS (Wood Mushrooms/Mushrooms): Characteristics to look out for: • Many discolour yellowish, reddish or pinkish when cut or bruised. |
Thank you for sharing and spreading awareness! This article would help new mushrooms enthusiasts how to spot an edible mushroom from the deadly ones especially for people who would love to hunt mushrooms in the wild.
Always my pleasure Daniel.
Regards
John
I have found these mushrooms growing less than a mile from where I live. They have a fantastic flavour. They are fairly easy to identify with the obvious red blushing.Also I found Prince ,field and many others types. It’s a fantastic way to spend a couple of hours. I love it
Good stuff Kevin. I ate some of these mushrooms the other day. They are good.
I’ve always enjoyed mushrooms for their taste, but learning about their health benefits—like boosting immunity, improving gut health, and even fighting inflammation makes me appreciate them even more. It’s incredible how versatile and powerful these little fungi are!
They are indeed a fascinating kingdom in nature.