Safety first, always
Nothing on this site is a substitute for expert identification in person. If you are not completely certain, do not eat it.
If you think someone has been poisoned
Call 999 in an emergency, or 111 for urgent advice. Keep a sample of the mushroom, or a photograph, and take it with you — it helps enormously with treatment. Symptoms that appear six hours or more after a meal are especially serious.
The golden rules
- Identify every single mushroom individually. Never a handful at a time.
- Learn the deadly species first — start here.
- Check gills, stem base, flesh colour when cut, smell and spore print, not just the cap.
- Never eat a wild mushroom raw, and cook thoroughly the first time you try a species.
- Try a small amount of any species new to you, and wait 24 hours.
- Do not pick for anyone you are not foraging alongside.
- Leave old, waterlogged or maggoty specimens where they are.
Picking responsibly and legally
In England and Wales you may generally pick fungi for your own use where you have lawful access, under the Theft Act 1968. Local byelaws can override this — the New Forest and Epping Forest, for example, ban picking outright. Sites of Special Scientific Interest and nature reserves have their own rules, and Scotland follows the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Never pick commercially without permission from the landowner.
Take only what you will use, leave plenty behind to spore, and do not dig up or disturb the ground.
Wild Mushrooms Online is an educational resource written by enthusiasts. We accept no liability for what you choose to pick or eat.