Mushrooms of the Northeast

Neither plants nor animals, mushrooms occupy their own kingdom as one of the mysteries of the natural world, and what little is visible of them above the soil is often part of a much larger network of filaments called hyphae that can span a few inches or several acres. Classifying mushrooms as to region can be a little tricky, however, as the colorful fungi don't adhere to geographical boundaries, which means that a species found in central Indiana may also grow in the northernmost parts of Maine.

The northeastern part of the United States features meteorological, environmental and ecological conditions that provide the ideal conditions for mushroom development. The combination of cold winters and warm, humid summers along with habitat diversity sets the stage for the growth of a large number of species that reproduce by means of spores released into the air. Mushrooms take many shapes, including caps with gills, such as the Indigo milky (Actarius indigo), or without gills, such as the rubber cup (Galiella rufa), fingers, such as the crown-tipped coral (Artomyces pyxidatus), snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis), which resembles a small head of white leaf lettuce, and ear-shaped types that grow on tree bark and on rotting stumps.

Among the thousands of mushrooms found in the northeastern United States that are generally safe to eat, examples include chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), black (Morchella elata) and yellow (Morchella esculenta ) morel, honey mushroom (Armillariella mellea), king bolete (Boletus edulis), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), black trumpet (Craterullus fallax), meadow mushroom (Agaricus campestris), shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus), hen of the woods

(Grifola frondosa), parasol (Lepiota procera) and purple-spored puffball (Calvatia cyathiformis).

Northeastern mushrooms that are classified as extremely toxic by naturalist John Root include the death cap (Amanita phalloides), destroying angel (Amanita virosa), fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), deadly galerina (Galerina autumnalis) and jack-o'-lantern (Omphalotus olearius). Some of these bear a marked resemblance to edible mushrooms, which can easily result in misidentification, which could prove fatal. The jack-o'lantern, for example is a chanterelle look-alike.

To prevent poisoning, do not ingest mushrooms from the wild. Purchase mushroom spawn from credible businesses. The North American Mycological Association stresses the dangers of consuming mushrooms before they have been properly identified and distributes a poster printed in several languages that reads "Picking and Eating Wild Mushrooms Can Kill You!"