fly agaric (Amanita muscaria)
Amanita muscaria is the most famous poisonous mushroom with red cap and white flakes. It lives mainly with birches and spruce and contains ibotenoic acid and muscimole.
Scientific name: Amanita muscaria
Features
The cap is 8 to 20 cm wide, scarlet to orange and covered with white, wipeable enveloping remains; after rain, it can be almost bare and paler. The gills are white, free and dense. The stem is white, with white, hanging ring and bulbous base, which is set with warty belts made of wrapping remains. A free, sack-like volva is missing. No taste, you never try Amanita species. The flesh is white, yellow under the cap skin. White
Habitat
Birch, spruce, pine, and other deciduous and coniferous trees.. Preferably acidic soils.. From the lowlands to the forest border.
Season
June to November Mainly July to October, until the onset of winter.
Weather and fruiting
Toxic and psychoactive — never forage for food. Shows after moist spells, but mix-ups with other amanitas are dangerous.
Lookalike risk
Caesar's mushroom: It has yellow gills, a yellow stem and a white, sack-like, free volva. Panther cap: It has a brown cap with pure white flakes and a bordered bulb. The sickener: It has no flakes, no ring, no bulb and no brittle flesh.
More regions
fly agaric · Scottish Highlands
Cool, wet Atlantic climate; season later and longer than in southern England.
fly agaric · Cairngorms
Upland granite and pine woods; elevation delays fruiting compared with the coast.
fly agaric · New Forest
Lowland mixed woods and heath; earlier season after mild, wet summers.
fly agaric · Lake District
High rainfall on western fells; valleys fruit earlier than high tarns.
fly agaric · Galloway
Mild, wet south-west Scotland with Sitka and mixed woodland.
More species
FAQ
What does the map show?
Weather-based foraging chances, not a guarantee that fruit bodies stand at the pin.
Can I eat this mushroom?
No page replaces identification. If unsure, leave it or ask an expert.
Fly agaric: is it edible?
No, it is poisonous. Toxic and psychoactive; self-experimentation is strongly discouraged.
Fly agaric: when and where does it grow?
In central Europe the season runs June to November. Mainly July to October, until the onset of winter. Habitat: Birch, spruce, pine, and other deciduous and coniferous trees.
Fly agaric: what are the lookalikes?
The most important distinction is from Panther cap (Amanita pantherina, poisonous): It has a brown cap with pure white flakes and a bordered bulb. Other lookalikes: The sickener, Caesar's mushroom.
When is a trip worth it?
Toxic and psychoactive — never forage for food. Shows after moist spells, but mix-ups with other amanitas are dangerous.