2019 was an exceptionally good year for all kinds of fungi and in my experience, it was the best in terms of abundance. This was acknowledged by a local foray leader I know, and he’s only been doing it for over 40 years! The month is November, at the height of the mushroom season, and […]
It has been a long long time since I’ve seen this fungus, especially in my neck of the woods in Leicestershire. Then three come along at once! Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) is a lovely sight for any mushroom fan, especially foragers looking for that special something to cook up. They’re widespread but occasional […]
A recent email query regarding this ‘not so often‘ seen mushroom, encouraged me to feature it today, having forgot to do it last year! The mushrooms shown here are from last June. The Milky Conecap (Conocybe apala) is one of the most common Cone Caps – which I don’t often see! And this is probably due […]
One of the most common bracket fungi found in the UK also happens to be one of the largest. And they’re out in force! The beautiful Dryad’s Saddle or Pheasant Back Mushroom (Cerioporus squamosus) can put on some dazzling displays. They are often grouped in tiered columns on deciduous trees and stumps. They’re actually a […]
History has it that on this day in 1415 St.George’s Day was declared a national feast day. And if you’re lucky enough, you may find the perfect ingredient in the form of Calocybe gambosa, commonly known as St.George’s Mushroom. This is one of the few edible species (of the larger kind) to be found in […]
Spring is proving slow to arrive, but it’s getting better. So when the mood takes you, get out on a woodland walk to find yourself some springtime fungi. But in this case, keep your eyes peeled for some pretty spring flowers – you may find some small surprises there! One of the first flowers to […]
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 […]
Experienced foragers often say, if you want to familiarise yourself with only a few mushrooms, it’s always best to recognise the deadly ones! Wise words indeed. The Fool’s Funnel (Clitocybe rivulosa aka C.dealbata) is one of the more common poisonous species to be found in the UK, as well as in Europe and North America. […]
For one reason or another I didn’t get the chance to get out much over winter, but a recent visit to some nearby woodland turned up these little black beauties. As they were well camouflaged, I nearly walked by this mass of Black Bulgar (Bulgaria inquinans) on a fallen trunk (possibly Ash). There were many […]
Well I suppose at some stage I would had to do a feature on this mushroom. A select few people I meet often presume that as a mushroom hunter, I only go looking for this particular species. Well that’s just not so – I was in the right place at the right time as I […]
As the common name states, this Milkcap is often found around Birch trees, but it can also grow with other deciduous tress, especially if the ground is mossy, rich and moist. The Birch Milkcap Lacctarius tabidus is an extremely common member of the milkcap family. This group were randomly scattered about the place enjoying the damp […]
Those lovely people from the Garden Life blog got in touch with me recently to have a quick e-chat! We had a talk about everything mushroom in a quick interview for the their latest Outdoor Lifestyle section. I explain my passion for all things fungi along with some tips and advice, and of course relevant […]
These mushrooms love to be in a crowd! They are one of the first to see in the year, fruiting from mid to late spring all the way through to late autumn/early winter. The Glistening Inkcap (Coprinellus micaceus) or should I say Inkcaps (plural) in this case, are extremely common; always found in small to […]
We’re at the beginning of summer and have had some decent, warm sunny days and a reliable source of showers – apparently perfect conditions for this summer/autumn Agaric which has shown itself somewhat early. Great news for all foragers who fancy a fry up! This small group of Macro Mushrooms (Agaricus urinascens / A.macrosporus) were […]
Many bracket (or shelf) fungi grow all year round, or at least from spring through to autumn. This one is a classic example – most common in central Europe but less so farther north. The Bay Polypore (Polyporus durus / P.badius) can be found throughout this long season. I live in middle England and find […]
2015 was a good year for a lot of different fungi. I had taken many pictures, slowly improving my camera skills and having a lot of fun thrown in too! This gallery shows just a modest selection of my favourite images last year. Most of the fungi are pretty common (some more photogenic than others). […]
Happy (belated) new year to you all! Things have been very busy for me pre-Christmas, hence the delay featuring this lovely and edible treat I found in November, even though it can often be seen in the winter months! I’m so happy to have found this mushroom recently as I don’t see much of it […]
With a common name such as this, it’s understandable to be a little suspicious of this small brown mushroom. In actual fact, it is perfectly safe and edible (although not much to write home about) but can be eaten none the less and they’re a very common site from late summer right through to early […]
There is no danger in mistaking this fungus with any other. Nothing comes close to its unique size and appearance. Everyone should feel lucky if they ever find any of these beauties in their prime. I only have the occasional luck here and there. They’re either too young, too old or vandalized! Late summer and […]
This common wood-rotting mushroom has a variable season. It is prolific in summer and autumn, but if conditions are mild enough, it can appear as early as April or early winter if the weather is favourable. The Deer Shield or Deer Mushroom (Pluteus cervinus) is one of the most common Shield mushrooms; and like nearly […]
Hi all. Just a quick update letting you know that the Mushroom Diary blog has had a minor facelift and will be a lot more user and visually friendly on all other smaller devices, such as your smart phone and tablet etc. I’m guilty of being a little behind on my featured posts lately, mainly […]
I’m holidaying in Cornwall this year, one of my favourite UK destinations, where I also like to keep my eye out for any summer mushrooms that may be about – when time permits of course. Hopefully in the not too distant future, I would also like to venture abroad and enjoy a summer/autumn break to […]
Apart from the usual (and culinary preferable) spring mushrooms out there such as the Morels and St.Georges Mushroom, there is still one pretty common woodland mushroom you may come across. The small and beautifully formed Winter Polypore (Polyporus brumalis) is quite a common winter/spring mushroom which is actually one of the smaller polypores to discover […]
It may seem a little strange to feature this mushroom in February when it’s actually an autumn species. Well, mainly! But year after year I often come across the Tawny Funnel (Lepista flaccida) in January or early February, as in this case. At first I thought I had an unfamiliar species to identify – […]
Those winter walks through the countryside and woodlands as we know, can be very enjoyable and enjoyable. Cold and crisp yet invigorating and refreshing… And at this time of year, several fungi will become more conspicuous. You should especially look out for the lovely and edible Oyster Mushrooms, Velvet Shanks and Wood Blewits. But there […]
Hope you all have a great Christmas and new year. I was going to squeeze this post in just before 2015 began, but I was too busy drinking! This autumn mushroom had clung on right until Christmas Day – although the examples I discovered were past their prime, I’m showing some images of these mushrooms […]
Following on from my previous post covering the Honey Fungus, I felt the need to feature this common and equally destructive Armillaria species. Again, it’s cap is variable and looks very similar to the standard Honey Fungus, but with a few distinctive visible differences. The Dark Honey Fungus (Armillaria ostoyae), like A.mellea, often grows in […]
Right now at the time of writing, these medium to large mushrooms are out there in force. Large, dense groups swarm around tree stumps or at the bases of living deciduous and coniferous trees. The Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) or Boot-lace Fungus (for reasons I’ll explain later) can appear early in the season, from summer […]
The UK Mushroom season is upon us. Well, just getting started anyway. Although mushrooms and fungi appear all year round, there’s no time like now. September to November are when they’re in most abundance and variety. So there’s no better time than now to give my new Mushrooms Pocket Guide a good plug! Bloomsbury contacted […]
In one of my recent posts I featured the lovely Poplar Fieldcap mushroom, where I mentioned I had come across another Agrocybe just a few weeks before. I had actually discovered these right at the end of May and have had emails and Tweets from people finding them right around the same time. But you […]
A trip to a relatively close wood nearby produced some interesting finds for me. Many of which were quite small – but always fascinating. And what with the recent hot weather and the odd overnight downpour, my path through the woodland was swarming with hundreds of mosquitos. I took quite a few bites home with […]
To be honest, I don’t really see many Fieldcaps, scientifically known as Agrocybes (Agro meaning Field and cybe meaning cap/head). Many have a fruiting season from late spring through to autumn, hence they are very conspicuous when seen during the summer months, when there is little about. And to add as an update/note (May 2017): […]
I often have a little scout around the garden if I’m moping about, just to see if there are any interesting little mushrooms popping up in the short grass. I was actually going to mow the lawn. Honest. ‘Small’ is the key word here. In fact ‘very small’ would be a better phrase. I had […]
A walk though the park today I was pleasantly surprised to find many small yellow and slightly larger pale mushrooms peppered around in the short grass. And as I suspected, these were actually all the same mushroom species, just in different stages of growth. The Yellow Fieldcap (Bolbitius titubans) is a very widespread and common […]
This is another species I often find in urban locations as well out in woodland or the countryside, especially at this time of year in mild January or February months. The Tubaria species are often overlooked due to their small size and colour which helps them blend into their surroundings. The Scurfy Twiglet (Tubaria furfuracea) […]
Most bracket fungi are usually every day ‘all year round’ kind of guys, some persisting even for years. And here’s one of the other common shelf fungi to perpetuate throughout the year, releasing it’s reproductive spores (sporulating) during spring. It can be large, lumpy, but unfortunately inedible which is a shame due to the potential […]
Happy new year to you all. It’s a typically dull and cold(ish) January and apart from the lovely edible Wood Blewit, Velvet Shank and Oyster Mushrooms around at this time, there are other groups of mushrooms to be seen, although not as palatable. The Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata) is one of these mushrooms. Very common […]
This is another perennial bracket fungus that is extremely common. If you find them at the right time in their life-cycle you’ll be witness to some beautiful displays that are visually stunning. What we have here is Turkeytail (trametes-versicolor) and is often layered in tiered groups on deciduous wood all year round. I often find […]
Right now there are quite a few Agaricus (mushroom) species. I have already seen many species in varying urban habitats. I was especially lucky when I stumbled across these beauties literally round the corner from my house on a large grassy verge. The most welcome Horse Mushroom (Agaricus arvensis) is a great tasty mushroom that […]