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    Pavement mushroom

    Agaricus bitorquis (Quél.) Sacc. · Agaricaceae

    Also: Torq, Banded agaric, Spring agaric, Banded agaricus

    Edible with cautionRisk of confusion: high

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Pavement mushroom
    Photo: Dr. Hans-Günter Wagner · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
    Pavement mushroom
    Photo: Grzegorz "Spike" Rendchen · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The pavement mushroom is a stocky, white Agaricus with hard flesh and a double ring that often pushes up through asphalt and paving. It grows along roads, paths and in parks.

    SeasonMay to October
    Spore printchocolate brown
    FamilyAgaricaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 5 to 15 cm wide, white, flat, often covered in soil, and yellows slightly.
    2. Underside. The gills are free, pink when young, later dark brown.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is short and stocky, with a double, sheath-like ring that can be pulled down, and has no volva; it does not yellow.
    4. Smell and taste. It has a pleasant mushroomy smell.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is very firm, white and turns slightly red.

    Lookalikes

    Do not eat specimens from busy roads or dog areas (pollutants, parasites).

    Habitat & Season

    Compacted, nutrient-rich soils. Built-up areas, mainly lower elevations.

    Host trees

    No tree partner; road and path edges, parks, cemeteries.

    Season

    possible good main season

    From spring to autumn.

    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

    Fried, in sauces. Cook thoroughly.

    Possible. Take only specimens from unpolluted sites.

    Frequently asked questions

    Pavement mushroom: is it edible?

    Only with restrictions. Do not eat specimens from busy roads or dog areas (pollutants, parasites). Cook thoroughly.

    Pavement mushroom: when and where does it grow?

    In central Europe the season runs from May to October. From spring to autumn. Tree partners and habitat: No tree partner; road and path edges, parks, cemeteries. Soil: Compacted, nutrient-rich soils. Elevation: Built-up areas, mainly lower elevations.

    Pavement mushroom: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Fool's mushroom (Amanita verna, deadly poisonous): It has pure white gills and a volva. Other lookalikes: Yellow stainer, Field mushroom.

    Related species

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    Sources

    Photo credits

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

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