Solidago spp. – Goldenrod
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is a group of 75+ species in the United States. Goldenrod gets a bad reputation for causing allergies, but it is insect pollinated so the pollen is not in the air. Goldenrod just happens to flower at the same time as the more conspicuous ragweed which many people are allergic to. Goldenrod […]
Rumex obtusifolius – Broad-leaved dock
Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius) is a non-native perennial that is related to buckwheat. It can be found in lawns, fields, and disturbed grounds. Broad-leaved dock is named after its broad, oval leaves. The plant produces small green flowers that grow in clusters at the top of the plant. These become brown, papery seeds in late […]
Monarda fistulosa – Wild Bergamot
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a native edible plant in the mint family. It can be found blooming in sunny areas in mid to late summer. Wild Bergamot has square stems with opposite, toothed leaves. The leaves produce an oregano-like aroma when crushed due to their thymol content. Wild Bergamot leaves, stems, and flowers are […]
Daucus carota – Wild Carrot
Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) is an edible plant that was introduced here from Europe. Wild carrot, also known as Queen Anne’s Lace, is the same exact species as our cultivated carrot. Wild carrot can be found in sunny fields, disturbed soils, and parks. Wild carrot has finely divided, feathery leaves similar to our cultivated carrot. […]
Aralia nudicaulis – Wild sarsaparilla
Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) is a common, native plant in the ginseng family. It can be found in forests in southern New England. Wild sarsaparilla has erect stems that divide into a whorl of 3 stems, which each form 3-7 leaflets. The leaflets are bronze in the spring, green in the summer, and yellow/red in […]
Prunus serotina – Wild Black Cherries
Wild Black Cherries (Prunus serotina) are a native plant that can be found in full sun. They grow up to 100 feet tall. Young Black cherry trees have light gray bark with horizontal lenticels. As the tree ages, the bark becomes ridged or pleated. The ovate leaves are alternate and have small teeth. Snapping a […]
Flammulina velutipes – Enoki
Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) are a difficult-to-identify edible mushrooms that can be found growing in the colder months of the year. Enoki, also known as Velvet Foot, can be found growing on dead, often standing hardwoods, especially elms, poplars, and willows. They fruit from October to May. Enoki can be foraged all winter long as they […]
Hydnum spp. – Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs (Hydnum spp.) are a group of 49 mushrooms in the Hydnum genus that are all considered edible. Hedgehogs can be found in New England from July-November. Hedgehogs are easily identified by their orange color and teeth under their cap. Hedgehogs can be found growing in groups in moss and leaf litter. They grow symbiotically […]
Fomitopsis betulina – Birch Polypore
The Birch Polypore (Fomitopsis betulina) is a medicinal mushroom that has been used for thousands of years. The birch polypore was found on Otzi the iceman, whose body was found in the Italian alps from 5,000 years ago. It is thought that Otzi was using the mushroom to treat the intestinal parasites that he had. […]
Armillaria gallica – Bulbous Honey Mushroom
The Bulbous Honey Mushroom (Armillaria gallica) is a parasitic and saprobic mushroom that can be found July-November. Honey mushrooms will always be growing on wood, although sometimes the wood is buried. The mushrooms grow in clusters. Cap color varies from yellow to brown. Armillaria gallica tends to have more of a brown cap color, while […]
Lycoperdon pratense – Meadow Puffball
The Meadow Puffball (Lycoperdon pratense) is an edible puffball mushroom that can be found in lawns, meadows, and parks. Edible puffball mushrooms lack gills and are pure white inside. The meadow puffball has a stump-like stem, which differentiates it from the also edible Giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea) which lacks a stem. Once the interior […]
Grifola frondosa – Maitake
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) are choice edible and medicinal mushrooms that grow at the base of hardwood trees. 98% of the time they are growing at the base of oak trees. Maitake, also known as Hen of the Woods, can be found fruiting from late August to early November. They have gray or brownish caps and […]
Volvariella bombycina – Silky Sheath Mushroom
The Silky Sheath mushroom (Volvariella bombycina) is a rare, edible mushroom that fruits July-November. The Silky sheath can be found growing on hardwood logs or in wounds of standing hardwood trees. The mushroom grows out of a whitish to brownish cup at the base of the stem. The cap is silky white, yellowing with age. […]
Fomitopsis ochracea – American Brown Fomitopsis
The American Brown Fomitopsis (Fomitopsis ochracea) is a polypore that was recently classified in 2011. Before this time, the mushroom was misidentified as multiple other mushroom species, including the Red-belted Polypore (Fomitopsis pinicola). The American brown Fomitopsis causes brown rot on hardwoods and conifers, particularly on birch and Populus species. The cap surface is smooth […]
Hericium coralloides – Coral Tooth Fungus
Coral Tooth Fungus (Hericium coralloides) is an edible mushroom that fruits late August to October. It can be found throughout North America and Europe, as well as in India, Russia, China, and Japan. Coral tooth fungus can be found growing on dead or decaying hardwoods, especially oak and beech. It is saprobic and possibly somewhat […]
Hohenbuehelia petaloides – Shoehorn Oyster
The Shoehorn oyster (Hohenbuehelia petaloides) is an oyster mushroom look-alike that can be found in New England summer-fall. Unlike true oyster mushrooms, the shoehorn oyster usually grows on wood chips or wood-rich soil. It can be found growing in clusters in urban settings or growing alone or in small groups in woodland settings. The shoehorn […]
Laetiporus huroniensis – Conifer Chicken of the Woods
Laetiporus huroniensis is a species of Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus spp.) that has pale yellow pores and grows on conifers. It can be found Spring-Fall, but fruits most prolifically from August-September. There are three species of Chicken of the woods (COW) that grow in New England. Pictured is Laetiporus huroniensis, which is a newly identified Laetiporus species […]
Russula cyanoxantha – Charcoal Burner
The Charcoal burner (Russula cyanoxantha) is an edible mushroom with a variable cap color. The cap color ranges from red and yellow to violet, blue-gray, and green. The charcoal burner can have mycorrhizal relationships with both conifers and deciduous trees but is most often found under beeches. It fruits summer-fall. The charcoal burner has soft […]
Tylopilus alboater – Black Velvet Bolete
The Black Velvet Bolete (Tylopilus alboater) is an easy-to-identify choice edible mushroom. The mushroom can be found east of the Rocky Mountains and in Eastern Asia. It is mycorrhizal with deciduous trees, particularly oaks. In Connecticut, the mushroom can be found June-October. The black velvet bolete has a dry cap that looks and feels like […]
Leccinum longicurvipes – Curved-stalk Bolete
The Curved-stalk Bolete (Leccinum longicurvipes) is an edible mushroom that can be found in oak forests from July-September. The curved-stalk bolete almost always has a curved stalk. There are pinkish brown scabers, or dark markings, on its stalk. The mushroom has a moist orangish-brown cap. The pore surface is yellowish and doesn’t stain blue. Spore […]