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    Blue green anise mushroom

    Clitocybe odora (Bull.) P.Kumm. · Tricholomataceae

    Also: Aniseed toadstool

    Edible with cautionRisk of confusion: medium

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Blue green anise mushroom
    Photo: Dendrofil · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The blue green anise mushroom is a blue-green funnel cap with a strong smell of aniseed. Cooked, it is edible as a seasoning mushroom, but it is poisonous raw.

    SeasonSeptember to January
    Spore printwhite to pale pink
    FamilyTricholomataceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 3 to 8 cm wide, blue-green to grey-green, fading with age.
    2. Underside. The gills are whitish to pale green and slightly decurrent.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is greenish white. There is no ring and no volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells strongly of aniseed.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is whitish.

    Lookalikes

    Poisonous raw; edible only cooked and as a seasoning mushroom. White funnel caps that smell of aniseed can be poisonous.

    Habitat & Season

    Leaf and needle litter. From lowland to mountain regions.

    Host trees

    Broadleaved and coniferous woods, along roots.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Autumn into winter.

    Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

    There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

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    Chance near you

    How good are the chances of finding this species where you are right now? We calculate it from weather, soil moisture, altitude and forest at your location.

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    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. For experienced foragers only: follow the restrictions, and if in doubt, do not eat it.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    Emergency: 112

    Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

    Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

    Austria

    Poison centre:

    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

    Emergency: 112 · 144

    Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

    Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    No species-specific rule known.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    In the kitchen

    In small quantities as a seasoning. Cook thoroughly; poisonous raw.

    Good as a seasoning powder. Only take specimens that are clearly blue-green.

    Frequently asked questions

    Blue green anise mushroom: is it edible?

    Only with restrictions. Poisonous raw; edible only cooked and as a seasoning mushroom. White funnel caps that smell of aniseed can be poisonous. Cook thoroughly; poisonous raw.

    Blue green anise mushroom: when and where does it grow?

    The season in central Europe runs from September to January. Autumn into winter. Tree partner and habitat: Broadleaved and coniferous woods, along roots. Soil: Leaf and needle litter. Altitude: From lowland to mountain regions.

    Blue green anise mushroom: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Fragrant funnel (Clitocybe fragrans, poisonous): It is whitish to light brown without blue tones and may contain muscarine. Other lookalikes: false death cap.

    Related species

    Mushroom trainer: test yourself

    Sources

    Photo credits

    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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