Edible & Poisonous Fungi

Invariably, one of the first questions asked about any large fungus (what most people would refer to as a "mushroom" or toadstool") is whether or not it is edible. Although many fungi are edible, there are others that are deadly poisonous. Unfortunately, there is no simple rule or test to distinguish edible from poisonous fungi. The best approach is to be exceedingly careful, which means not collecting any fungus for the table unless it has been identified with absolute certainty. Do not regard any fungus as safe to eat on the basis of what you see or read on this web site.