The Morel Mushroom: Identification and Common Features

Before you head out into the woods, take some time to learn about morel mushroom identification. Although not usually difficult to identify, true morels do have poisonous look-alikes.

There have been deaths from these mushrooms, most in the Verpa and Gyromitra species. Moreover, no one really knows the long-term carcinogenic effects of consuming MMH. For these reasons one should never consume a false morel. It's just not worth the risk.

I also have to add my standard disclaimer: don't eat anything solely on the basis of what you've read here. If you're new to morel mushroom identification, have an experienced hunter take you out and check your first finds.

Now don't let all that scare you off! Morel mushroom identification isn't too hard, and with some experience you'll be able to distinguish true from false. I'll start with the two main features to look at, and then move on to some other identification hints. Finally we'll examine some differences between true and false.

Most Important Morel Features

The two most important features to examine when trying to identify a morel mushroom are the cap shape and whether the interior is hollow.

Morels have a very distinct cap. Fairly uniform, they appear ridged and pitted inwards. See the picture above for a close up of a morel cap.

On most morels the cap will be attached to the stem, not hanging free as with amanitas and many other mushrooms. There are species known as "half-free morels", where only the bottom of the cap hangs freely from the stem. These can be harder to identify so discard if you have any doubts.

After you've examined the cap the next important identification step is to slice the mushroom lengthwise. A true morel will be hollow inside from the tip of the cap to the bottom of the stem. I took the picture to the right, note how the inside is hollow and how the cap is attached directly to the stem.

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Other Identification Hints

Here are a few other features that may aid in morel mushroom identification.

• Nearby trees. Morels are known for their relationships with trees, particularly ash, elm, and apple trees. See Michael Kuo's North American Trees page for more help with tree identification.

• Time of year. These are spring mushrooms, fruiting anywhere from February to June depending on where you live. Cooler areas will see fruitings later in the year (May-June).

• Cap length. In most morels the cap is longer than the stem. This may not be the case with half-free morels, so be sure to check cap attachment as well.

• Spore print is usually light colored, cream to light yellow. To make a morel spore print, simply set the mushroom down on dark colored paper and place a bowl or vase over it to avoid air current disruption. Leave overnight and the next morning you should see a collection of light-colored spores around the mushroom.

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Will the True Morel Please Stand Up?

Below is a table with some differences between true and false morels.

Look at the pictures below. Note the tall inward-pitted true morel cap on the left, and the shorter outwards-bulging false morel cap on the right.

Now let's examine some interior photos. I took the one of a true morel on the top, see how the inside is hollow and the cap is fully attached to the stem. The false morel on the bottom has cottony fibers inside, and the cap is attached directly to the top of the stem while the rest of it hangs free.

Now take this knowledge and see if you can apply it in the woods. Just remember that catchy old adage that's repeated throughout this site and in mushroom clubs everywhere: When in doubt, throw it out!

Related Pages:

Morel Hunting Hints

Morel Identification

The False Morel

Morel Recipes

Growing Morel Mushrooms

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The third photo on this page was taken by Beantree and is published on Wikipedia under the GNU Free Documentation License.

The fourth picture was taken by Jason Hollinger and is published on Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Share Alike 3.0 License.

The sixth picture (Verpa bohemica) was taken by Jason Hollinger and is published on Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Share Alike 3.0 License.