Can you identify my mushroom?
Not from a photo — not us, not an app, not a social-media group.
Some deadly species look like edible ones in pictures, and the features that tell them apart (stem base, spore colour, smell) rarely show up in a photo. Symptoms of the worst poisonings can take days to appear.
What to do instead
Three steps, in this order
- 1
Don't eat it — keep pets and children away
If anyone has eaten some: call NHS 111 now (999 if they're unwell) and keep a sample in a paper bag.
- 2
Take these 6 photos
Good photos don't make an ID safe — but they help an expert tell you what to check in person.
- 3
Show it to a person, in person
A local fungus group or an accredited foray leader can handle it, smell it and check the base.
Step 2 · The six photos
- 01Top of the capStraight down, in daylight, with a coin for scale
- 02UnderneathGills, ridges, pores or teeth — and how they meet the stem
- 03The whole stem, base includedDig it up gently: a bulb or a sack at the base matters
- 04Cut in halfFlesh colour and any colour change after 5 minutes
- 05Spore printCap on white and dark paper, covered, overnight
- 06Where it grewThe tree, wood or soil — and a wide shot of the spot
A local fungus group
Most UK counties have a recording group with regular forays. The British Mycological Society keeps a list of local groups.
A guided walk
Our directory of accredited foray leaders, filtered by region and month.
Walks & courses →About ID apps
Apps are a starting point, never a verdict: they learn from photos, and photos miss what separates edible from deadly.
Ate a wild mushroom and feel unwell?
Call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency. Don't wait for symptoms. Keep any leftover mushroom in a paper bag — it helps doctors identify it.