Luke Massey
How to identify fungi
The UK is home to over 15,000 species of fungi! While some are easy to identify by their size, shape, colour, texture, or even smell, many look very similar, making identification tricky. You can often narrow it down to a broad group based on features like gills, pores, or cap shapes.
Habitat plays a big role too, as many fungi are quite picky about where they grow. Spore prints can also offer useful clues.
Mastering the mushrooms is quite the task but here are some tips to get you started on having fungi fun!
Amethyst deceiver mushroom in Sydenham Hill Wood – Chris Cannelle
Pick a habitat where fungi are likely to thrive and set off on an exploration! Woodlands are always a great choice, as they provide ideal conditions for a wide variety of fungi to grow. Here are some top spots we recommend:
When you head out for a fungi walk, be sure to wear sturdy footwear, bring a bottle of water, and have a fungi identification tool handy, like a mobile app or a guidebook, to help you spot and identify different species.
Fungi can be found in many environments—from high up on tree trunks to scattered among fallen leaves on the ground. Here are some common fungi you might spot in London!
Candlesnuff Fungus ©Margaret Holland
How to identify: The fruiting body of the candlesnuff fungus is simple, erect and stick-like. It is black and hairy at the base of the stem and powdery white at the tip. The stem can become flattened and branched in a fork like an antler, hence the other name of 'Stag's Horn'.
Where to spot: Woodland, You are likely to see it growing on dead and rotting wood.
When to spot: January to December
Common puffball
Photograph by Stu's Images, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.
How to identify The fruiting bodies of the common puffball are pear or club-shaped, with an obvious stem. They're whitish at first, becoming browner with age. The surface is covered with short, bobbly warts that break off as the puffball ages, leaving little scars on the surface. When a fruiting body is mature, a hole opens at the top. When bumped by a passing animal or even hit by raindrops, a cloud of spores is puffed out of the hole.
Where to spot: Woodland and grassland
When to spot: July to November
Fly agaric ©Mike Snelle
Despite it being toxic to people, there are some animals that do eat fly agaric. These include red squirrel, some deer and slugs, as well as specialists such as fungus gnats - these flies lay eggs on the fungus, and when they hatch the larvae feed on the fruiting body.
How to identify: A red cap, either flat or rounded, often with a scattering of white spots or warts, and a white stem. The gills, beneath the cap, are free of the stem.
Where to spot: Heathland, moorland, woodland, towns and gardens. Fly agaric is found in woodlands, parks and heaths with scattered trees, typically growing beneath birch trees or pines and spruces.
When to spot: August to November
Shaggy Inkcap ©Tom Hibbert
The shaggy inkcap is an unmistakable fungus - its tall, white, shaggy cap providing this name and also others, such as 'lawyer's wig' and 'shaggy mane'.
How to identify: A tall, narrow, cylindrical cap that is white and very 'shaggy' with 'scales' over its surface. The cap gradually opens out to a bell shape. The gills are very crowded; they are white at first, then turn pink and eventually black, dissolving from the margin of the cap until it is almost entirely gone. It has a tall, smooth, white stem with a moveable ring.
Where to spot: Grassland, woodland, towns and gardens
When to spot: May to November
Amethyst Deceiver ©northeastwildlife.co.uk
The pretty-in-purple amethyst deceiver can be seen growing in the leaf litter of our woodlands during late summer and autumn.
How to identify: Fairly small and bright purple in colour, like the crystalline quartz it gets its name from. It has lilac flesh and the gills are attached to the stem, widely spaced and are deep purple. The stem is covered in tiny, white hairs.
Where to spot: Woodland
When to spot: August to November
Porcelain Fungus ©Guy Edwardes/2020VISION
Porcelain fungus can be found in beechwoods. It appears in late summer until late autumn on dead trunks and fallen branches, and occasionally it grows on dead branches high up in living trees.
How to identify: The caps are white, translucent and very shiny; they start off convex, flattening out with age. The gills are white, broadly spaced and attached to the stem.
Where to spot: Woodland
When to spot: July to October
Ali McKernan
Dryad’s saddle is a mighty bracket fungus that can grow to enormous sizes, and never fails to take your breath away if you chance upon it in the woods.
How to identify: Starting out as stout little ears a little like Shrek's, this fungus grows rapidly into beautiful saucers, often in tiers all down the side of the tree upon which it lives. The cap surface is pale cream/golden and has a pattern of brown scales on top, which also gives it its other nickname - 'Pheasants back', as they resemble the feather pattern.
Where to spot: Woodlands, parks and gardens
When to spot: May to September
The identification of fungi by sight only advises that as a beginner, you don’t pick anything you find. This is because while some fungi are edible, many are toxic and some can even be fatal. Fungi are also good at storing pollutants, both soil and air-borne. In addition the rules of foraging are complex; for more detailed information please see our Foraging on Nature Reserves policy.
