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    Fool's mushroom

    Amanita verna Bull. ex Lam. · Amanitaceae

    Also: Spring destroying angel

    ☠ Deadly poisonous

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Fool's mushroom
    Photo: Walter J. · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The fool's mushroom is a pure white Amanita with a ring and a sac-like volva that appears as early as late spring. Like the death cap, it causes fatal amatoxin poisoning.

    SeasonMay to July
    Spore printwhite
    FamilyAmanitaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, white, sometimes slightly ochre in the centre, domed to flat and smooth.
    2. Underside. The gills are white and free.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is white and smooth, with a hanging white ring and a bulbous base in a membranous, sac-like volva.
    4. Smell and taste. Never taste it!
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white; with potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution it turns orange-yellow.

    Lookalikes

    Deadly poisonous; it appears as early as spring, when hardly anyone expects deadly Amanitas.

    Habitat & Season

    Warm broadleaf woods, often on limestone. Warmer, lower elevations.

    Host trees

    Oak, beech, sweet chestnut.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Spring to early summer; rare in central Europe, more common in warmer regions.

    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.

    All mushroom regions →

    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Deadly poisonous: even one cap can kill. If you suspect anyone has eaten it, call the emergency number and the poison emergency service immediately.

    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.

    Salzburg: collecting poisonous mushrooms is banned.

    Red List Germany: Data deficient

    Poisoning

    ToxinAmatoxins (alpha-amanitin), heat-stable.
    SyndromePhalloides syndrome (amatoxin syndrome).
    SymptomsSevere vomiting and diarrhoea, then a deceptive improvement, then liver failure.
    Onset6 to 24 hours.
    What to do now: This is an emergency, even if you have no symptoms yet. Go to a hospital immediately or call 999 / 112 and the poison centre (NHS 111, England). Do not wait to see whether symptoms appear, and do not be fooled by an apparent improvement. Do not induce vomiting. Keep leftover mushrooms, trimmings and vomit, and inform everyone who ate with you.

    Frequently asked questions

    Fool's mushroom: is it edible?

    No, it is deadly poisonous. Deadly poisonous; it appears as early as spring, when hardly anyone expects deadly Amanitas. Even a suspected ingestion is an emergency: call the emergency number and the poison centre immediately (numbers for your country below).

    Fool's mushroom: when and where does it grow?

    In central Europe the season runs from May to July. Spring to early summer; rare in central Europe, more common in warmer regions. Tree partners and habitat: Oak, beech, sweet chestnut. Soil: Warm broadleaf woods, often on limestone. Elevation: Warmer, lower elevations.

    Fool's mushroom: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from European destroying angel (Amanita virosa, deadly poisonous): It has a conical cap and a strongly flaky stem; also deadly. Other lookalikes: White Agaricus mushrooms, St George's mushroom.

    Related species

    Open the mushroom map 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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