It’s All About Fungus!
Ohio has more than 2,000 kinds of wild mushrooms, some of which are poisonous and some of which are edible, which emerge during April and May.
Wild mushrooms typically grow under the cover of leaves, dead wood and other forest debris, quickly emerging after a moderate or heavy rain. Abandoned orchards and areas with ash or elm trees are often the most productive areas for mushroom seekers.
The most common edible mushroom sought in Ohio is the morel or sponge mushroom. The true morel is easily recognized. However, there are some poisonous mushrooms, the false morels, that can be confused with the true morels. True morels have caps with definite pits and ridges, like a honeycomb. False morels may have lobes, folds, flaps or wrinkles. The true morel is built like a light bulb and the stem is hollow when viewed in a cross section.
Mushroom hunting is permitted at all 20 state forests in Ohio, encompassing more than 200,000 acres. Many state parks also allow mushroom hunting. However, individuals interested in hunting should look for a notice posted at the area headquarters indicating that the collecting of mushrooms is permitted or contact park officials for specific rules and restrictions that may apply to individual parks as off-trail hiking without a special permit is prohibited at certain state parks. Mushrooms can only be picked for personal use…no commercial harvesters are permitted.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The annual mushroom hunt at Tar Hollow State Forest in Vinton County will be held Saturday, April 19. For more information, call 740-649-9614.
Mushroom Madness will take place on April 26 at Malabar Farm in northeast Ohio from 10 a.m. to noon. The event includes hands-on workshops, tastings and a field hike to locate and identify mushrooms. For more information, call 419-892-2784.