Warted amanita: identification and lookalikes

Identification in 5 steps

The warted amanita is a large, white-grey Amanita with flat, grey-white veil remains on the cap and a cap margin hung with shaggy fringes. It grows in warm broadleaf woods on limestone.

SeasonJuly to September

Spore printwhite

FamilyAmanitaceae

Cap. The cap is 8 to 20 cm wide, white to grey-white, with flat, thick, grey veil patches; the margin is hung with shaggy veil remains.
Underside. The gills are white to cream and free.
Stem, ring and volva. The stem is white and mealy-flaky, with a short-lived, flaky ring and a rooting bulb sunk deep in the soil.
Smell and taste. Do not taste it; you never taste Amanitas.
Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and does not change colour.

Lookalikes

Amanitas and grisettes are not for beginners: the genus includes the deadly death caps. It is also rare and should be spared.

European destroying angel Amanita virosa

deadly poisonous

It is pure white with a smooth cap, a membranous ring and a sac-like volva.

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Amanita solitaria

poisonous

It has more pointed, pyramid-shaped warts on the cap.

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Bearded amanita Amanita ovoidea

edible with restrictions

It has no shaggy veil remains and a large, membranous volva.

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Habitat & Season

Calcareous soils. Warm, lower elevations.

Host trees

Oak, beech, lime; also parks and roadsides, rarely pine woods.

Season

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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.

All mushroom regions →

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.

Whether the species is listed in the annex of the Carinthian mushroom ordinance (Kärntner Pilzverordnung) still needs to be checked.

Red List Germany: Least concern

In the kitchen

Included for completeness only: it is considered a good edible mushroom, but tastes musty with age. Cook thoroughly.

Not recommended. It accumulates silver. Better to spare it than eat it.

Never eat wild mushrooms raw, and always cook them for at least 15 minutes.
Use only young, fresh, maggot-free specimens that you have identified with certainty.
Carry mushrooms in an airy basket, not in plastic bags, and prepare them the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Warted amanita: is it edible?

Only with restrictions. Amanitas and grisettes are not for beginners: the genus includes the deadly death caps. It is also rare and should be spared. Cook thoroughly.

Warted amanita: when and where does it grow?

In central Europe the season runs from July to September. Tree partners and habitat: Oak, beech, lime; also parks and roadsides, rarely pine woods. Soil: Calcareous soils. Elevation: Warm, lower elevations.

Warted amanita: what are the lookalikes?

The most important distinction is from European destroying angel (Amanita virosa, deadly poisonous): It is pure white with a smooth cap, a membranous ring and a sac-like volva. Other lookalikes: Amanita solitaria, Bearded amanita.

Related species

Blusher Amanita rubescens
Grey spotted amanita Amanita excelsa
Tawny grisette Amanita fulva
Grisette Amanita vaginata
Caesar's mushroom Amanita caesarea
Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea

Mushroom trainer: test yourself

Sources

Photo credits

Photo: Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
European destroying angel: Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Bernypisa assumed (based on … · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
Amanita solitaria: Photo: Sporulator (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bearded amanita: Photo: Archenzo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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