Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest

Thank you for coming to my resource page. This is not an exhaustive list of all of the mushrooms that grow here. Rather, it is a collection of mushrooms I regularly hunt that I find desirable. You may wish to branch out after you get familiar with some of the common ones and I encourage you to do so.

Please be confident in your ID before consuming wild mushrooms.

Cauliflower Mushrooms (Sparassis sp.)

Cauliflower mushrooms grow here in Oregon at the base of conifer trees, typically in old growth forests. They are truly spectacular mushrooms that can grow to immense size - the specimen here is about the size of a car tire.

They have a texture like al dente egg noodles and a "spicy" flavor. They are incredible in soups like ramen. You can find them from September to January. This species used to be known as Sparassis crispa, but DNA sequencing has shown that it is its own unique species.

Chanterelles

We have a variety of mushrooms here in Oregon referred to as chanterelles. The most desired by many are Pacific Golden Chanterelles. They grow in areas with loose soil, typically around abandoned railways, on hills, old logging trails, and places where humans used to go regularly but no longer frequent. We don't know why.

White chanterelles fruit in colder temperatures along with hedgehog mushrooms, both of which can be found in the same habitats, and are also incredibly desirable.

 

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sp.)

The term "Chicken of the Woods" refers to a basket of species in the Laetiporus genus. Here in Oregon, we get Laetiporus conifericola, L. gilbertsonii and L. sulphureus. L conifericola can be found growing on conifers, L. gilbertsonii prefers Japanese Maples, and L. sulphureus prefers maples. Though, you may find it growing on other trees occasionally. They start growing around Mid September and end before Thanksgiving, though you may find occasional specimens before or after this window.

Here is a video of Laetiporus sulphureus growing on maple along the Willamette River in Salem, Oregon.

Coral fungus (Clavulina cristata)

This is a fun one. There is not much body to this fungus and it doesn't taste like much, but it does make for fun picking! They are very odd and will often grow where an animal just walked a few days prior. If you're tracking game (or a human) you can use these fungi to tell where they go. It is pretty wild to see the trail animals leave long after sign of the trail is gone.

There are no known poisonous white coral fungi, though it is worth mentioning this fungi can be parasitized by Helminthospheria. It turns the white flesh into a bubbly, scaled, alligator-like skin that is bright blue. The transformation is similar to what happens to lobster mushrooms.

As far as I know, there is no documentation on edibility, so I always leave them when I see them. Maybe one day I will be brave enough. Until then, I will enjoy picking hedgehogs, wood blewits and coral into the winter months!

Please also be aware that the poisonous rough-skinned newt shares a spawning habitat with these mushrooms and it may not be a good idea to eat them when the newts are out in large numbers.

Grifola frondosa (Maitake)

This is a mushroom that "doesn't grow here" but people find it with stark regularity growing at the base of hardwood trees. There have even been occasional samples growing at the base of conifers at higher elevations. These may be their own distinct species but more specimens need to be collected and sequenced to form any meaningful conclusions. It is a polypore mushroom that is rich, earthy, and fruits in abundance.

Here is a domestic variety I grew out at home.

Hedgehog Mushrooms (Hydnum repadnum)

Hedgehog mushrooms grow off the roots of fir trees from fall into February. They have been recently collected as late as May at high elevations. They are a very "nutty" and slightly "spicy" mushroom with a lot of flavor. They continue to grow when most other mushrooms go to sleep for the season, so it is always worth looking for them. They have an abnormally long fruiting season that happens to begin and end at strange times.

We have a species native to Oregon and there are a variety of species within this genus. However, there are no known poisonous lookalikes with modified gills in the shape of spikes. You will know this mushroom when you see it.

Note the salal in the background of this photo.

 

Lobster Mushrooms (Hypomyces lactifluorum)



This is a mushroom that is formed when a short-footed Russula (R. brevipes) becomes infected with a parasitic fungus. The parasite overtakes the host mushroom and replaces the entirety of its DNA and becomes an entirely new organism. They are incredibly desirable, delicious, and unmistakable. They're some of the earliest mushrooms that begin on the coast and at higher elevations when the Fall season rolls around. They can be found in old growth forest and coastal forests with ease.

You can hunt Russula brevipes throughout most of the year then return in the fall when it is parasitized into lobster mushrooms.

Russula brevipes:



Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus sp.)

Oyster mushrooms are one of the most common mushrooms that grow in Oregon. On the coast, they grow on scotchbroom, alder, coastal hedges and occasionally mossy Western Hemlock trees. Look for any hardwood (tree or not!) with snaps, breaks or cuts from landscaping crews, weather or hikers. They are everywhere and once you see them, you won't stop finding them.

Here are some from the coast. Here they are growing later in the season (note how they're smaller and fruit less as the temperatures get colder).

I cloned some I found in Tillamook Bay growing on Western Hemlock, and here is what they look like when grown at home. Here are some Willamette River oysters I found growing on alder and grew out.

There is also a species called Sarcomyxa serotina that is referred to as a "late fall oyster" but it is not a true oyster at all. They grow on the coast when regular oysters go to sleep. They're alright but they don't dry well - they're 95% water or greater.

Porcini (Boletus edulis)

The porcini mushroom is my favorite. It is very beginner friendly and unmistakable. They tend to favor fir trees inland and I find them mostly on pine trees (Pinus contorta, specifically) on the coast. They also enjoy spruce and Western Hemlock. They are incredibly large mushrooms and you get a lot of reward for the amount of work you put in.

The baby versions of them are referred to as bouchons and are significantly more desirable to some than the larger fruits. They pack a whole lot of flavor despite their smaller size.

Portobello (Agaricus bisporus)

These are an incredible mushroom that begins to fruit with the first round of rains when Fall begins. They grow at the base of fir trees but also a number of hedges in landscaped beds like laurel. They have light purple gills when young that fade to dark brown. There is a poisonous lookalike (Agaricus xanthodermus) but they stain highlighter-yellow when damaged and smell like bandaids or medical equipment.

It is incredibly important to inspect each Agaricus before adding it to your basket. A number of species share overlapping habitats and you may find A. xanthodermus growing in a patch of portobello. The smell and bruising become less apparent the colder it gets, and A. bisporus will fade away first, leaving a bunch of yellow-stainers by the time winter rolls around.

I sometimes still find it hard to get a smell or yellow reaction when it is 35-45F out, so approach with more caution as the season ends.

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

This mushroom is a weird one. It has been used for thousands of years to boost the immune system. Recent studies have been performed that show polysaccharide-P and polysaccharide-K stimulate immune cells in invitro studies. They grow on hardwoods throughout the year. I prefer to use Klein electrical scissors to cut off the stem before drying.

Here is a video of a tremendous flush of them on alder found on the Oregon Coast. Here is a video that showcases the stunning blue and red bands that occasionall adorn these fruits (which sometimes may be light tan or brown).

In winter, I find them growing on oak, typically on limbs or trees that have fallen during storms.

Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) & Inky Caps (Coprinopsis artramentaria)

These are two species that used to belong the same genus but have been found to be genetically different enough to be separated into their own. Shaggy Mane grows in spring and fall on substrates lacking in nutrition, like gravel roadways, on sod, or hard packed dirt. Inky Caps prefer rotting logs and thick, deep forest duff. I aim for blackened, fertile leaf litter when hunting inky caps.

Both species auto-digest and you cannot consume alcohol for 48h after eating them due to the enzymes. They turn to a black inky goo if you don't cook them immediately after harvesting. Online resources say the black ink is bitter but it has been my experience that it does not become bitter. You just need to hijack the part of your brain that says black food is bad. The experience is worth abstaining from alcohol and taking that dive into the unknown - they are both incredibly delicious mushrooms.

Here is a video of a magnificent cluster I found in summer 2024, and a huge flush I found at the end of Spring.

  Wood Blewits (Lepista nuda)

Wood blewits are incredible mushrooms that begin their life a bright purple color and fade to brown. They prefer growing on forest litter but you can find them in scotchbroom groves on the Coast. They smell much like frozen orange juice concentrate and are unmistakable.

Here is a specimen I foraged after the New Year in 2024. It was found growing on the coast. Note the way the substrate attaches to the base of the stem - they are all like this.