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    Grisette

    Amanita vaginata (Bull.) Lam. · Amanitaceae

    Also: Grisette amanita

    Edible with cautionRisk of confusion: high

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Grisette
    Photo: Albarubescens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
    Grisette
    Photo: Megalogena · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The grisette is a grey, ringless Amanita with a strongly striate cap margin and a white, sac-like volva. Pale forms can be mistaken for the death cap.

    SeasonJune to October
    Spore printwhite
    FamilyAmanitaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, grey to grey-brown, with a metallic sheen, never greenish, and a strongly striate margin.
    2. Underside. The gills are white and free.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is whitish and frosted, has no ring and sits in a white, sac-like volva.
    4. Smell and taste. Do not taste it.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white, thin and fragile.

    Lookalikes

    Poisonous raw, edible only when well cooked. Amanitas and grisettes are not for beginners: the genus includes the deadly death caps.

    Habitat & Season

    Various soils. From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Broadleaf and conifer trees, often birch, beech, spruce.

    Season

    possible good main season

    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: heed 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

    Low culinary value, thin-fleshed. Boil thoroughly; raw, it contains haemolysins.

    Not recommended. Never eat it raw.

    Frequently asked questions

    Grisette: is it edible?

    Only with restrictions. Poisonous raw, edible only when well cooked. Amanitas and grisettes are not for beginners: the genus includes the deadly death caps. Boil thoroughly; raw, it contains haemolysins.

    Grisette: when and where does it grow?

    In central Europe the season runs from June to October. Tree partners and habitat: Broadleaf and conifer trees, often birch, beech, spruce. Soil: Various soils. Elevation: From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Grisette: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Death cap (Amanita phalloides, deadly poisonous): It has a ring, a cap margin without striations and an olive-tinged cap. Other lookalikes: Panther 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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