← Species guidePoisonous
Fly Agaric
Amanita muscaria · Amanitaceae
The classic red and white toadstool. Hallucinogenic and poisonous. Admire it, do not eat it.
Poisonous. Contains ibotenic acid and muscimol. Causes confusion, nausea, delirium and sedation. Poisonings are rarely fatal but always unpleasant, and reactions vary wildly.
Read the full foraging safety guidance.
Season
August to November
Where it grows
- Birch
- Pine
- Heathland
Identification
- Cap
- 8-20cm, scarlet fading to orange, covered with white removable warts, often washed off by rain.
- Gills / pores
- Free, white, crowded.
- Stem
- White, with a floppy ring and a scaly bulbous base.
- Flesh
- White, yellowish under the cap skin.
- Spore print
- White.
- Smell & taste
- Faint.
Lookalikes
Other red-capped Amanitas such as the Blusher. All Amanitas should be left alone by beginners.
In the kitchen
Do not eat.