Are the Little Mushrooms That Come Up in the Lawn Edible?

Identifying

• Before eating a mushroom from your lawn, it is always important to identify it accurately. This is not an easy task, as there may be as many as 30,000 species of mushrooms in North America. For comparison, there are only 200 natural species of trees on the continent. Many edible mushrooms closely resemble poisonous varieties, so find a good mushrooms guide book or an experienced mushroom hunter and pay attention. Often, more than a visual assessment is necessary to accurately identify a mushroom.

Collecting

• To collect mushrooms from your lawn or garden, bring out a basket or other container and some wax paper to gently wrap individual mushrooms. You may also want to bring a notebook to jot down information about where the mushroom was growing and what it looks like. Make sure to take the entire mushroom including the base of the stem, because you will need it all for identification. Place the mushrooms upside down in the basket to prevent spores from falling out when it is jostled. Only collect fresh mushrooms, free of bugs and decay. Always wash your hands after handling wild mushrooms.

The Spore Print

• Mushroom spores are too small to see just by looking at the underside of the mushroom, but they are often necessary for identification. To see the spores, make a spore print. After removing the stem, place the mushroom spore side down on a piece of paper. Use white paper only, or use half white and half black. Place a bowl over it to protect it and leave it alone over night, or for about 12 hours. The spores will slowly fall on to the paper, leaving a spore print.

Eating Lawn Mushrooms

• Remember that some wild mushrooms can cause illness or death if eaten, so proceed with caution. If you identify a mushroom as being an edible variety and would like to try it, start slow. Cook a small piece of the mushroom in a pan with a little bit of oil. After you eat it, wait a day to see if you have any reaction to it before consuming more.