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Pennsylvania Fungi 

With a wet start to the summer, there have been many species of mushrooms to see in PA’s forests! If you’ve ever been curious about fungi, check out some of the info below! 

What are Mushrooms? 

Fungi are a kingdom of organisms separate from plants and animals. They produce spores to reproduce, eat organic matter, and are made of an interconnected system of root-like structures hidden underground called mycelium. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi- basically, they’re like a fruit or a flower for a plant. You might spot the mycelium on the back side of moist bark or at the base of a mushroom, but generally it’s the mushrooms that get our attention. 

Can you eat wild mushrooms? 

Some, yes! Others produce poisons that can make you mildly ill…or cause organ failure. If you want to learn how to ID and harvest wild mushrooms, it’s best to join a local mushroom club and learn from experts. 

What types of mushrooms are there? 

Mushrooms come in many different shapes and sizes! Here are a few different forms they can come in:

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Picture of 6 types of mushrooms

A Few Common PA Wild Mushrooms

Chanterelles

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Collage photo of chanterelle mushrooms.

 

Chanterelle season is happening now! There are several species of chanterelles, such as the common chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), cinnabar chanterelle (C. cinnabarinus), and smooth chanterelle (C. lateritius). All of them have a few things in common:

1) They don’t have real gills. Instead, they’re just ridges that don’t look any different when you slice them in half-they’re just an extension of the stem.

2) They smell fruity, almost like apricots!

3) They grow on the ground, not on wood! Several poisonous look-alikes, like the Jack-o-Lantern mushroom, grow on wood.

 

Puffballs

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Collage of various types of puffball mushrooms.

 

There are many different species of puffballs, but they all have a few things in common:

1) They start out as squishy, ball-shaped mushrooms that are pure white inside. If it’s not pure white (like if you see gills forming or it’s super dark colored,) it’s not a puffball! It might be a young regular mushroom which could be poisonous.

2) As they mature, the inside first turns color, and eventually turns into powdery spores. Some species of puffball grow on logs, while others grow on the ground. They can range from small, like pear-shaped puffballs (Lycoperdon pyriforme, center image above) to the enormous giant puffball (Calvatia gigantia, top right image.)

Some species of puffball grow on logs, while others grow on the ground. They can range from small, like pear-shaped puffballs (Lycoperdon pyriforme, center image above) to the enormous giant puffball (Calvatia gigantia, top right image.)

 

Milkcaps

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Collage photo of two milkcap mushrooms.

 

Milkcaps (Lactarius species) look like regular mushrooms, but with a weird twist - they bleed! They come in many different colors, such as white, tan, bright orange, and bright blue. The orange and blue ones even bleed green! The white one pictured above (Lactarius piperatus) is known as the “peppery milkcap” and is very common locally this year. The white latex is insanely spicy and can make you throw up - so definitely don’t try it!

 

Chicken of the Woods

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Collage photo of two chicken of the woods mushrooms.

 

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) is a favorite of mushroom hunters - it’s huge (up to 50 lbs!), easy to spot on trees from half a mile away, and hard to confuse with any other mushroom. It really does peel apart like a piece of chicken!

Colorful coral-like mushroom.

Identifying More Mushrooms

Interested in learning more about wild mushrooms? Consider joining a local club and procuring some field guides. Some mushrooms can be very dangerous, so never eat wild mushrooms that haven’t been identified thoroughly by an expert!