The Story of White Mountain Mushrooms

Editor’s Note: Well, it’s been a busy week for me, and as such I have fallen behind on my writing for this blog. However, I want to take some time today to point my fellow fungal fanciers in the direction of Read More

How to Find Hen of the Woods Mushrooms

Editor’s Note: Today I’d like to explain a little bit about exactly where to find hen of the woods mushrooms because they’re totally excellent edibles and they grow in some abundance east of the Rocky Mountains. Hen of the woods’ scientific name Read More

Christopher Hobbs and Medicinal Mushrooms – Audio Interview

Editor’s Note: The time has come yet again for mushroom radio theater, wherein I share a bit of audio from my archive of recordings from Crazy About Mushrooms: Conversations With Fungus Fanatics, the radio documentary I produced about fungi and the people Read More

Macrocybe Titans – North America's Big Honkin' Monster Mushroom

Editor’s Note: Mycology is fascinating to me because fungi constantly remind me of the inherent weirdness of life, and Macrocybe titans is a good example. As a human being, it seems “natural” to have a provincial, species-centric view of the universe, whereby our Read More

Your First 4 Mushrooms – A Novice Mushroom Hunter's Hitlist

Editor’s Note: Last weekend, I had the privilege of leading a mushroom walk at Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute. As I have come to expect, the class was filled with curious, enthusiastic students, a good number of whom self-identified as novice mushroom hunters, and Read More

A Lesson in Lepidella – Overview of Common NC Amanitas

Editor’s Note: When I first started hunting mushrooms in North Carolina, I was awestruck by the diversity of fungi that fill our forests and fields. In particular, North Carolina is rich in Lepidella mushrooms, which is a section of the Amanita genus. Experts opine that there Read More

Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute Foray, 10/3

Editor’s Note: From time to time I offer mushroom walks and identification classes, and this coming Saturday, October 3, I am going to be leading a foray at Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute in Chapel Hill, NC. This post is for those of Read More

Why You Should Join a Mycological Society

Editor’s Note: Well kids, it’s about high time to high tail it to the annual North American Mycological Association foray up Asheville way, and I must confess I’m stupid excited about it. In honor of the upcoming festivities, I figured Read More

Gomphus Clavatus – The Pig's Ear Mushroom

Editor’s Note: Today’s post will look at the pig’s ear mushroom, Gomphus clavatus. This is a bit of a weirdo mushroom and not everyone likes eating it, but I have had good experiences with this mushroom on the whole. It’s kind of Read More

How to Identify Agaricus Mushrooms

Editor’s Note: This is yet another post in a series I am writing about identifying wild mushrooms to genus. In previous posts, I addressed Amanita mushrooms and Tylopilus mushrooms, and in the future I plan to add more. Today’s fare is a tour Read More