Mushroom Foraging in Iowa

Mushroom foraging is a great way to get out and enjoy Iowa's natural areas. This page features calendars that will help you determine when you might find certain mushroom species in Iowa. If you are interested in learning more about mushroom foraging in Iowa check out the video resources as well.

Videos

Calendars

The calendars on this page show the months when a mushroom species has been recorded in Iowa and other parts of the upper Midwest. The dates of the actual appearance of any one species can vary widely from year to year and is primarily based on environmental conditions, including ground temperature, the timing of rainfall, amount of precipitation, and season.

Calendar Key

  Not as abundant Peak
Toxicity Unknown TU1 TU2
Edible E1 E2
Poisonous P1 P2
Not Edible NE1 NE2
Edibility Differs Among Species EV1 EV2

*signifies caution, specifics on each mushroom profile from the Safe Mushroom Foraging publication 

Spring mushroom calendar

Check out the summer and fall calendars too.

Common Name Scientific Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Half Free Morel Morchella punctipes           *E1 *E1 *E2 *E2 *E2
Common ,White or Grey Morel   Morchella americana            E1 E2 E2 E2 E2
Common Eastern Black Morel Morchella angusticeps            *E1 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E1
Smooth Thimble Cap   Verpa conica             P1 P2 P2 P2
Wrinkled Thimble Cap Verpa bohemica               P2 P2 P2 P2
Beefsteak False Morel Gyromitra brunnea           P1 P2 P2 P2 P2
Carolina False Morel Gyromitra caroliniana         P1 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
White Elfin Saddle Helvella crispa group                   TU1
Devil's Urn Urnula craterium         TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2
Crimson Cup, Scarlet Elfcup Sarcoscypha austriaca         TU1 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2
Palomino Cup, Recurved Cup Peziza varia                   TU1
Inky Caps   Coprinellus micaceus                  *E2 *E2
Oyster (pearl) Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus                    E2
Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus                 E2 E2
Scotch Bonnet, Fairy Ring Marasmius oreades                 E1 E2
Velvet Stem  Flammulina velutipes      E1 E1 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2
Deadly Gallerina  Galerina marginata             P1 P1 P2 P2
Artist's Conk Ganoderma applanatum NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2
Dryads Saddle, Pheasant’s Back Mushroom   Polyporus squamosus             E2 E2 E2 E2
Turkey Tail  Trametes versicolor               NE2 NE2 NE2

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Summer mushroom calendar

Check out the spring and fall calendars too.

Common Name Scientific Name Jun Jul Aug Sept
Saddle             Helvella stevensii TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU1 TU1
Cabage Leaf Helvella     Helvella acetabulum group TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU1 TU1  
Palomino Cup, Recurved Cup Peziza varia TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2
Chanterelles   Cantharellus cibarius group   E2 E2 E2 E2 E2    
Hard Puffballs, Earthballs Scleroderma spp.   P1 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
Honey Mushroom Armillaria mellea    *E1 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2
Sulphur Shelf, Chicken of the Woods Laetiporus sulphureus  E1 E1 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2
Bitter Bolete  Tylopilus felleus      NE1 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2
Hedgehog Mushroom Hydnum repandum      E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2
Giant/Black-staining Polypore Meripilus sumstinei   *E1 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2
Blackening Russula Russula dissimulansgroup     TU1 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2
Sickener Russula emetica     P1 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
Green Russula Russula parvovirescens group      E1 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2
Fenugreek Milkcap Lactarius torminosus     P1 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
Tawny Milk Cap Lactifluus volemus   E1 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2
Webcap Cortinarius group     *EV2 *EV2 *EV2 *EV2 *EV2 *EV2
Fairy Fingers  Clavaria vermicularis     NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2
Golden Coral  Ramaria aurea   TU1 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2
Death Angel Amanita bisporigera      P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
False Parasol, Green Gill   Chlorophyllum molybdites    P1 P1 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
Stinking Parasol/Dapperling  Lepiota cristata P1 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
White Dapperling, White Agaricus Mushroom Leucoagaricus leucothites      E1 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2
Meadow Mushroom Agaricus campestris  E1 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2
Deadly Gallerina  Galerina marginata P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
Torn Fibercap Inocybe rimosa  P1 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
Black Trumpet Craterellus cornucopoides     E1 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2

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Fall mushroom calendar

Check out the spring and summer calendars too.

Common Name Scientific Name Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
White Elfin Saddle Helvella crispa group TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU1 TU1        
Tippler's Bane, Common Ink Cap Coprinopsis atramentaria *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E1 *E1  
Inky Caps   Coprinellus micaceus  *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E1      
Shaggy Mane   Coprinus comatus *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E1 *E1    
Oyster (pearl) Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus  E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2        
Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus E2 E2 E2 E2 E1          
Scotch Bonnet, Fairy Ring Marasmius oreades E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E1 E1      
Giant Puffball           Calvatia gigantea  *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E1    
Puffballs Lycoperdon spp.  *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E1    
Hard Puffballs, Earthballs Scleroderma spp.   P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P1      
Velvet Stem  Flammulina velutipes  E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2    
King Bolete Boletus edulis E2 E2 E2 E2 E2          
Bitter Bolete  Tylopilus felleus  NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE1        
Bear’s Head Tooth Fungus Hericium americanum E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2      
Hen of the Woods Grifola frondosa  E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2      
Lobster Mushroom Hypomyces lactifluorum  TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 *TU1        
Giant/Black-staining Polypore Meripilus sumstinei *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2            
Aborted Entoloma, Shrimp of the Woods Entoloma abortivum    *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E2 *E1      
Blackening Russula Russula dissimulansgroup TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2          
Sickener Russula emetica P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P1      
Green Russula Russula parvovirescens group  E2 E2 E2 E2 E2          
Fenugreek Milkcap Lactarius torminosus P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P1      
Tawny Milk Cap Lactifluus volemus E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E1        
Webcap Cortinarius group *EV2 *EV2 *EV2 *EV2 *EV2 *EV2 *EV2      
Fairy Fingers  Clavaria vermicularis NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE1      
Golden Coral  Ramaria aurea TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU2 TU1        
Death Angel Amanita bisporigera  P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P1    
False Parasol, Green Gill   Chlorophyllum molybdites  P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2      
Stinking Parasol/Dapperling  Lepiota cristata P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P1      
White Dapperling, White Agaricus Mushroom Leucoagaricus leucothites  E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2      
Meadow Mushroom Agaricus campestris  E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E1      
Flat Top Agaricus Agaricus placomyces P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2        
Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom Omphalotus illudens  P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P1    
Deadly Gallerina  Galerina marginata P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P1
Torn Fibercap Inocybe rimosa  P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P1      
Black Trumpet Craterellus cornucopoides E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2      
Artist's Conk Ganoderma applanatum NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2
Dryads Saddle, Pheasant’s Back Mushroom   Polyporus squamosus E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E2 E1      
Turkey Tail  Trametes versicolor NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2 NE2  

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Category: 
Forestry
Forest Products
Tags: 
mushrooms
morels
morel mushrooms