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St. George's mushroom (Calocybe gambosa)
Calocybe gambosa is a compact, whitish to cream-colored tricholoma species with a strong flour odor that appears in rings and rows in spring. It is edible but can be confused with poisonous spring mushrooms.
Scientific name: Calocybe gambosa
Features
The cap is 4 to 12 cm wide, white, creamy to pale ocherish, thick fleshy, with long curled edge. The gills are white to cream, very dense and bulged; they remain bright. The stem is white, strong, full, without ring and volva. It smells strongly of fresh flour or cucumber. The flesh is white, firm and does not discolour, not even reddish. White
Habitat
No fixed tree partner; Forest edges, bushes, meadows, gardens.. Mostly calcareous, nutrient-rich soils.. Depending on the altitude, the season shifts.
Season
April to July Often in two spurts, end of April to mid-May and June to early July, depending on altitude.
Weather and fruiting
Spring window after mild moisture; mealy smell. Mix-ups with toxic funnels are possible.
Lookalike risk
I. patouillardii: It has a radially fibrous, conical cap, reddens when injured and gets brownish gills; Muscarin poisoning, deaths possible. Livid entoloma: It has yellowish, later pink gills and pink spore print and usually appears later in the year. Fool's mushroom: It has a ring and a sack-like volva and does not smell like flour.
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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.
St. George's mushroom: is it edible?
Yes, it is an edible mushroom. The highly toxic Inosperma erubescens grows at the same time in the same places.
St. George's mushroom: when and where does it grow?
In central Europe the season runs April to July. Often in two spurts, end of April to mid-May and June to early July, depending on altitude. Habitat: No fixed tree partner; Forest edges, bushes, meadows, gardens.
St. George's mushroom: what are the lookalikes?
The most important distinction is from Fool's mushroom (Amanita verna, deadly poisonous): It has a ring and a sack-like volva and does not smell like flour. Other lookalikes: I. patouillardii, Livid entoloma.
When is a trip worth it?
Spring window after mild moisture; mealy smell. Mix-ups with toxic funnels are possible.