Mushrooms in season in April
8 species in our guide fruit in April. 3 are edible and 2 are poisonous or deadly — learn those first.
Choosing a region puts species of beech, oak and chalk grassland at the top. Save as PDF from the print window to keep it on your phone.
Edibles to look for in April
St Georges Mushroom
Calocybe gambosa
A solid white spring mushroom of grassland, traditionally appearing around St Georges Day.
Oyster Mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus
Shell-shaped tiers on dead broadleaf wood, often after the first cold snap.
Jelly Ear
Auricularia auricula-judae
Rubbery brown ears growing on elder all year round. The same species sold dried in Chinese cookery.
Dangerous species out in April
False Morel
Gyromitra esculenta
A spring lookalike for the morel with a lobed brain-like cap. Its toxin is related to rocket fuel.
Sulphur Tuft
Hypholoma fasciculare
Dense sulphur-yellow clusters on stumps all year. Very common, very bitter, and toxic.
Also fruiting
Morel
Morchella esculenta
The great prize of spring: a honeycombed hollow cone, best hunted on disturbed chalky ground.
Chicken of the Woods
Laetiporus sulphureus
Vivid sulphur-yellow and orange brackets on standing trees, with a texture famously like chicken breast.
Common Inkcap
Coprinopsis atramentaria
Edible in itself, but it causes a violent reaction with alcohol taken up to three days later.
Never eat a wild mushroom on the strength of a website alone. Some deadly species look very like good edibles. Check every feature, and get an expert opinion if there is any doubt at all.
Read the full foraging safety guidance.