Edible Mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest

Hedgehog Mushroom

• The Hedgehog mushroom is a distinctive fungus found in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and other rainy areas. This mushroom has tiny spines that stick out from the underside of the plant. It is found in the ground near moss and other plants in October and November. The flesh is visibly white when cut, but the exterior of the mushroom is brown or cream colored. It also has a large, wavy, fan-like cap.

Boletus Edulis (King Boletes)

• The Boletus Edulis, also called King Boletes, is another edible mushroom found throughout the Pacific Northwest. This plant has a similar look and feel to many other types of mushrooms. It has pores, tubes and flesh with a mushroom cap top. The color is cream, brown, off white or olive colored. The top cap of the mushroom is sometimes dark brown. This plant is found in late summer to early fall.

Oyster Mushrooms

• Oyster mushrooms are fan-like oyster-shaped mushrooms that grow out of trees in the Northwest. It has a wide fanning cap with spines underneath. The color is light gray or cream. The Northern Bush website says that there are no poisonous look-a-likes in North America, so this mushroom is easy to identify.

Cauliflower Mushroom

• The Cauliflower mushroom is another fungus that grows wild in the Pacific Northwest. This mushroom is very distinctive because it has no stems, spines or pores. It looks like bunches of cauliflower or sauerkraut on the forest floor. It is typically cream colored or light brown. You can find this mushroom in the fall in Oregon and Washington.

Common Puffball

• The common puffball, also called Lycoperdon Perlatum, is a white or cream-colored mushroom that has rounded cone-like shape and tiny spikes on the top. Some of the more mature spikes have black tips. This mushroom typically grows in clusters within the forests of the Pacific Northwest. This mushroom is safe to eat, but it looks similar to other types of mushrooms that are poisonous like the stinkhorn or the destroying angel. The destroying angel is rounded and similar in appearance to the common puffball, but this type doesn't have any spikes. The stinkhorn looks almost identical to the common puffball, but it is black inside. Just be careful and make sure that you are collecting true common puffballs. Cook all wild edible mushrooms before eating.