The best wild mushrooms for beginners The world of mushrooms and fungi can be an intimidating place for beginners so through this guide we’re going to look at the best wild mushrooms for beginners. Many of them look very similar and if you get it wrong there’s the risk of…
Tag: fungi

Pink Waxcap / Autumn / Winter / Edible Scientific Name Porpolomopsis calyptriformis Common Names Pink Waxcap, Ballerina Waxcap Family Hygrophoraceae Habitat They are found in unimproved fields and pasture, verges and church yards. Description One of the rarest and most beautiful fungi in the UK. It was only removed from…

Blackening Waxcap / Summer / Autumn / Inedible Scientific Name Hygrocybe conica Common Names Blackening Waxcap, Black Wavy cap, Witches Hat Family Hygrophoraceae Habitat They are found in unimproved fields and pasture, verges and sand dunes. Description One of the most common Waxcaps in the UK, they are very variable…

Crimson Waxcap / Autumn / Winter / Edible Scientific Name Hygrocybe punicea Common Names Crimson Waxcap, Crimson Wavy cap Family Hygrophoraceae Habitat They are found in unimproved fields and pasture. Description One of the largest Waxcaps, they’re not very common but in the right conditions can appear in quite large…

Scarlet Waxcap / Autumn / Winter / Edible Scientific Name Hygrocybe coccinea Common Names Scarlet Waxcap, Scarlet hood, Righteous red waxy cap. Family Hygrophoraceae Habitat They are found in woodland clearings and mown meadows and fields, where fertilisers and herbicides aren’t used. Description One of the smaller red Waxcap, they…

Black Truffle / Spring / Winter / Edible Scientific Name Tuber melanosporum Common Names Black Truffle, Périgord truffle, French Black truffle Family Tuberaceae Habitat They are mycorrhizal and grow just beneath the surface near oak, popular, beech and hazel trees. Unfortunately they aren’t found in the UK, they’re famously found…

White Truffle / Autumn / Winter / Edible Scientific Name Tuber magnatum Common Names White Truffle, Piedmont truffle, White gold Family Tuberaceae Habitat They are mycorrhizal and grow just beneath the surface near oak, popular, beech and hazel trees. Unfortunately they aren’t found in the UK, they’re famously found in…

Whitish Truffle / Spring / Winter / Edible Scientific Name Tuber borchii Common Names Whitish Truffle, Bianchetto truffle, White Spring truffle Family Tuberaceae Habitat They are mycorrhizal and grow just beneath the surface near oaks and pines. They are very, very rarely found in the UK and are most often…

Slippery Jack / Summer / Autumn / Edible Scientific Name Suillus luteus Common Names Slippery Jack Family Suillaceae Habitat They form mycorrhizal relationships with coniferous trees, most often with Scot Pine (Pinus sylvestris). They are fairly common and sometimes appear in large numbers. Description An edible species but the caps…