Arguably the most famous mushroom there is, commonly featured on paintings that depict mushrooms. They are the most strikingly beautiful, but sadly like other things nature made so alluring, they are poisonous. In modern times death from eating one of these mushrooms is extremely rare but it can happen. While it is processed a certain way to be eaten by some brave souls, I wouldn’t risk it. There are so many other tasty mushroom species out there I see no reason to take the risk with this one. They are very pretty though and encountering them in the wild is a treat for the eyes.

Amanita Mushrooms

I often heard people call these amanita mushrooms, however there are many different kinds of amanita mushrooms. This is the most widespread amanita in North America. I tend to stay away from this category all together because they contain so many poisonous ones. For the more experienced and confident mushroom hunter these might be considered a delicacy but not on my table. Like I said before there are many other kinds that are readily available if you’re already in the mountains hunting for them. The Angel of Death is also in the amanita family and its the reason I avoid white mushrooms growing from the ground.

How to Identify

These ones are pretty easy to spot. They have bright red and sometimes orange caps with raised white spots, though the spots are not perfect circles which is why they are often described as warts. The under side has white gills and a white stalk with a partial veil.

It’s important to be able to identify toxic plants and mushrooms in all stages of their life. The above picture features one in the stage most people are familiar with, the cap has opened but hasn’t fanned out yet. In their latest stage of opening the cap will be flat on the tops, sometimes heavy rains can wash away the white spots so be sure of what you are eating if you pick a mushroom with a red or orange cap. The only mushroom I think these could be mistaken for without their spots is a Russella. It takes heavy rains to wash those spots off though, most of them will look normal. I only say that to make people aware it can happen.

Below is what they look like in their button stage.

They really are adorably mushrooms! I haven’t found one fanned out with it’s spots gone in the wild. If you want to see what that looks like a simple google search will show what that stage looks like. I tend to find these mushrooms growing under leafy trees, these were near a small pond.

Can I Handle Them?

There’s no reason to avoid these mushrooms, just avoid eating them and keep them away from the mouths of children and pets. If someone has touched one, a simple wash of the hands will rid you from any potential of getting sick.

I’m not trying to make you afraid just aware; some people think the skin will absorb the poison and kill a person that way. I can’t find any evidence that is true, yes, your skin can absorb things and yes these are poisonous but that’s where the relevance stops. Our skin is there to protect us after all. If you are fortunate enough to come across one, take a second to drink in its beauty and be reminded what a magnificent place this earth is.