How to Identify/Find Amanita Muscaria Mushrooms

The Amanita Muscaria mushroom, or the Fly Agaric mushroom, is a mushroom native to the northern hemisphere. It can be found in Britain, America, and all across the rest of the northern hemisphere. It was also introduced to the southern hemisphere by accident and so can be found in places there, but it’s mostly found in the north. Please note that they are considered dangerous but should you need to identify or find them then it’s not that difficult; they’re very common. They have their medical uses but be sure to know what you’re doing with one before you do it.

Identifying the Amanita Muscaria

The Amanita Muscaria is pretty conspicuous and large so it’s easy to spot. It starts out looking like a small white egg but eventually gains a red cap that becomes covered in white warts. The cap continues growing but the warts don’t, making them look smaller by comparison. If the mushroom you find has a large red cap and white to yellow warts you can consider that it’s most likely an Amanita Muscaria. It helps to have a picture for reference though to make sure that what you have is definitely one. The Fly Agaric is pretty unique so the likelihood it’s not one is low. When the mushroom is fully grown the cap flattens out and can be around 8-20 centimetres in diameter. Larger ones have been seen but they’re less common. If you need a lot of them though they come in groups so it’s not difficult to get a lot once you find some. In North America there is a yellowish variation that’s often confused for other yellow and red mushrooms native to the area, so if you’re in America it’s even more important to make sure you have the right thing.

Finding the Amanita Muscaria

The Amanita Muscara is found generally in wooded areas and is a very common mushroom. When it fruits and matures is different for each region. It mostly fruits in Summer and Autumn in North America and later in Autumn and even early Winter along the Pacific Coast. In Great Britain it can be found from August to November, like in North America. It’s important to make sure that you look for it at the right time of year or you won’t find anything at all. The mushroom is parasitic and can be found under pine, spruce fir, birch, and cedar trees. The Fly Agaric is ectomycorrhizal and forms mycorrhizal associations with the aforementioned trees, bonding to them. It’s important to know where to look for one. Typically if you find one then you can find a whole bunch because they tend to come in groups. Just find the tree that you’re after and check the base of it for a red cap with white warts. If you find that then you’re pretty much set and have found an Amanita Muscara.

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