False morel Gyromitra esculenta
deadly poisonous
Its cap is convoluted like a brain and red-brown, chambered inside and not hollow all the way through.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The thimble morel has a smooth, thimble-like cap that is attached to the stem only at the tip. It is not an edible mushroom (raw it causes gastrointestinal upset) and is easily confused with morels.
SeasonApril to May
Spore printyellowish
FamilyMorchellaceae
- Cap. The cap is 2 to 4 cm tall, thimble-shaped to bell-shaped, brown, smooth to slightly wrinkled.
- Underside. There are no gills; the cap hangs free on the stem.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is 3 to 12 cm long, whitish and hollow, with no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. It tastes mild, but eaten raw it can cause upset; do not taste it raw.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is pale and brittle.
Lookalikes
Eaten raw it can cause gastrointestinal upset, so do not confuse it with morels.
Common morel Morchella esculenta
edible
It smells pleasantly spicy, and its spore print is cream to ochre-yellow. Its cap is honeycomb-chambered and fused with the stem, whereas the cap of the thimble morel sits on the stem only at the top, like a thimble.
View on the mapHalf-free morel Morchella semilibera
edible
Its cap is small and sits on the long stem only halfway; the lower edge of the cap stands free.
View on the mapSide by side
| Thimble morel | False morel | Common morel | Half-free morel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 2 to 4 cm tall, thimble- to bell-shaped | 3 to 10 cm, red-brown to dark brown, convoluted like a brain | 3 to 10 cm tall, roundish to egg-shaped, honeycombed | 2 to 5 cm tall, conical, honeycombed |
| Underside | no gills, cap hangs free on the stem | no gills, cap chambered inside | no gills, cap fully fused with the stem | no gills, lower half of the cap free from the stem |
| Stem | 3 to 12 cm long, whitish | short, whitish, furrowed | whitish, finely mealy, hollow | long, whitish, finely mealy, hollow |
| Flesh | pale and brittle | waxy brittle, chambered inside | waxy brittle, hollow | waxy brittle, hollow |
| Edibility | Inedible | deadly poisonous | edible | edible |
Habitat & Season
Damp banks, floodplain woods, humus-rich soils. From the lowlands up to the hills.
Host trees
Deciduous trees in floodplains, poplars, willows.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Spring in floodplains and deciduous woods.
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.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Not an edible mushroom: do not collect it for the kitchen.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
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.
Why it is not edible
Eating it raw is often not tolerated; no substitute for morels.
The cap sits on the stem only at the tip; in morels the cap is joined all the way.
Frequently asked questions
Is the thimble morel edible?
No, the thimble morel is not edible. Eaten raw it can cause gastrointestinal upset, so do not confuse it with morels.
When and where does the thimble morel grow?
The thimble morel grows from April to May in spring in floodplains and deciduous woods, on damp, humus-rich soils, mostly under poplars and willows.
Which look-alikes can the thimble morel be confused with?
You can confuse it with the common morel, the false morel and the half-free morel. The common morel smells pleasantly spicy and has a cream to ochre-yellow spore print, and its cap is honeycomb-chambered and fused with the stem, whereas the cap of the thimble morel sits on the stem only at the top, like a thimble. The cap of the false morel is convoluted like a brain and red-brown, chambered inside and not hollow all the way through. In the half-free morel the cap is small and sits on the long stem only halfway; the lower edge of the cap stands free.
How do you recognise the thimble morel?
The spore print is yellowish. The cap is 2 to 4 cm tall, thimble-shaped to bell-shaped, brown, smooth to slightly wrinkled.
Related species
- Common morel Morchella esculenta
- Turkey tail Trametes versicolor
- Bitter bolete Tylopilus felleus
- False chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
- Splitgill Schizophyllum commune
- Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: Ron Pastorino (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- False morel: Photo: unknown · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Common morel: Photo: Andreas Kunze · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Half-free morel: Photo: Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.