Green mushrooms are some of the most fascinating fungi that grow around the world Often popping up in woodlands before other earth-toned mushrooms, green mushrooms can be found in diverse habitats from temperate forests to grasslands to gardens
While many types of green mushrooms are edible and tasty, others have unknown edibility or are even poisonous, making proper identification critical. Let’s take a closer look at these intriguing fungi, including some of the most common species worldwide.
Why Are Some Mushrooms Green?
The vivid green colors of various mushrooms species are produced by chlorophyll pigments. This gives many green mushrooms the ability to derive energy from sunlight through photosynthesis, just like plants!
Two main pigments create the range of green shades seen in mushrooms
-
Chlorociboriachlorin: Produces brighter greens and turquoise blues
-
Xerocomic acid: Produces olive and forest greens
Levels of these pigments can change over the mushroom’s lifespan, causing shifts in color. Green mushrooms may also bruise or stain green.
Common Green Mushroom Habitats
Green mushrooms span diverse types from small waxcaps to large russulas over 6 inches wide. These fungi pop up in many habitats:
-
Deciduous and coniferous forests: One of the most popular places to find green mushrooms is on the forest floor, among decaying wood and leaves.
-
Woodland edges and clearings: Mushrooms like part sun, so woodland fringes and meadows are prime real estate.
-
Lawns and gardens: Green mushrooms surprise gardeners by sprouting in woodchip mulch beds.
-
Along roads and trails: Mushrooms spread spores far and wide, colonizing disturbed soil of ditches and paths.
While some species stick to certain forest types like oak woods, others are more flexible in their habitats.
Edibility and Toxicity of Green Mushrooms
The edibility of many green mushrooms is controversial, with sources differing on safety. Here’s a breakdown:
-
Edible: Some green mushrooms like Green Russula and Aniseed Funnel are choice edibles, with nutty, aromatic flavors.
-
Toxicity unknown: Green mushrooms like Green Skinhead and Mouse-pee Pinkgill may be poisonous, but specific toxins are unidentified.
-
Deadly poisonous: The Destroying Angel mushroom can stain green and is lethal if consumed. Exercise caution!
Proper identification is critical to avoid toxic fungi. When in doubt, steer clear of green mushrooms marked as inedible or unknown.
Identifying Types of Green Mushrooms
With thousands of mushroom species on the planet, identification can be tricky. Here are some key characteristics to help ID major green mushroom groups:
Waxcaps: Named for their waxy, slimy caps. Often small, under 2 inches, with bright green, olive, or lime colors.
Russulas: Among the largest green mushrooms, with caps up to 6 inches wide. Mild-tasting, known edibles. Convex caps in grassy greens.
Pinkgills: Small mushrooms with caps under 2 inches wide. Gills start pale before turning pink with spores. Off-putting urine-like odor.
Coral fungi: Resemble aquatic corals in structure. Often grow on decaying wood. Stain green when handled.
Stropharias: Slimy, glutinous caps that fade from vivid blue-greens to yellows. Long white stems with fragile ring. Purplish spores.
17 Types of Green Mushrooms
Let’s look at some of the most common and striking green mushroom species found around the world:
1. Green Russula
Regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Central America
One of the choicest edible green mushrooms, Green Russula has a mild, nutty flavor. Its large cap reaches 6 inches wide and is dotted with green splotches. A good source of iron and zinc.
2. Aniseed Funnel
Regions: Europe, North America
True to its name, the Aniseed Funnel smells and tastes like anise or licorice. The olive-green cap and white gills darken with age. Best sautéed to bring out aromatic flavor.
3. Chicken Lips
Regions: North America (West Coast)
Named for its puffy, irregularly-shaped green caps resembling chicken lips. Has an off-putting odor and texture. Found around oaks in California and the Pacific Northwest.
4. Verdigris Agaric
Regions: North America, Europe, Asia
This vivid blue-green mushroom stains yellow as the cap ages. Long white stem has a fragile ring. Considered poisonous by some guides, but edibility is debated.
5. Parrot Waxcap
Regions: Europe, Eastern North America
Young caps are olive-green but fade to yellow in age. The moist, slimy texture makes this mushroom less appealing, though it’s sold in some markets.
6. Green Elfcup
Regions: North America
This coral mushroom appears as a deep green stain on decaying oak and hazel wood. Rarely produces small fruiting bodies with turquoise underparts. Considered inedible by most.
7. Green Brittlegill
Regions: North America, Europe
Reaching 3 inches tall, this mushroom has a bright green cap and white gills that darken over time. Found in birch and pine woods. Edibility is disputed.
8. Green-Spored Lepiota
Regions: Australia, Southeast Asia, Hawaii
A large white mushroom that bruises vivid green, especially on the gills. Considered toxic, causing stomach issues if eaten raw or undercooked.
9. Green Skinhead
Regions: Australia, New Zealand
This imposing mushroom has a cap up to 6 inches wide. Starts dark green before fading brown. Found under eucalyptus trees. Toxicity suspected but not confirmed.
10. Mouse-pee Pinkgill
Regions: Europe, North America
Named for its unpleasant urine-like odor. The olive cap bruises green; the stem stays green. Widespread in summer and fall on disturbed ground. Toxic if eaten.
11. Green Staining Woodcup
Regions: Asia, North America, Central America
This fungus stains decaying hardwood vibrant green before forming small cup-like fruiting bodies. Used since ancient times to dye fabric and wood green.
12. Jack-o-Lantern Mushroom
Regions: North America
This toxic lookalike of the edible chanterelle glows in the dark! The gills and stipe stain green when bruised. Causes stomach cramps and vomiting when eaten.
13. Green Waxcap
Regions: North America, Europe
Waxcaps are named for their waxy caps, which are olive-green in this species, sometimes with darker green stripes. Prefers mossy coniferous woods.
14. Jade Pinkgill
Regions: North America, Europe
This is a stunning all-green mushroom with a glistening jade cap and lime green stem. Loses some color intensity with age. Found in deciduous and mixed forests.
15. Green Goblet
Regions: North America
Also called the Emerald Elf Cup, this petite mushroom stands under an inch tall. Grows on decaying conifer wood in western North America. Status is inedible.
16. Green Earthtongue
Regions: North America
A highly rare green mushroom with an unusual elongated, tongue-shaped cap. Color varies from mint green to blue-green. Grows in soil among dead leaves.
17. Green Coral Slime
Regions: Australia, New Zealand
Despite its unappealing name, this mushroom forms beautiful green shelf-like caps on dead eucalyptus trees, resembling aquatic coral.
This covers some of the major green mushroom groups found around the world. While some are choice edibles, proper identification is key to avoid toxic lookalikes. With thousands more species yet to be discovered, keep an eye out for green mushrooms on your next woodland walk!
Crafting[]
- Although Green Mushrooms are available in placed form on the Nintendo 3DS version, breaking one never yields an item.
Trivia[]
- The Green Mushroom and Teal Mushroom are the only mushrooms to require mining to uproot.
- Green Mushrooms seems to be based on a real mushroom species called Gliophorus psittacinus, a green-colored toadstool with a gray stipe.
3 Unique Mushrooms you can Forage!
FAQ
What kind of mushrooms are green?
Stropharia aeruginosa, commonly known as the blue-green stropharia, or verdigris agaric, is a medium-sized green, slimy woodland mushroom, found on lawns, mulch and woodland from spring to autumn.
Are lawn mushrooms safe to eat?
LPT from a biologist: Don’t eat mushrooms out of your yard. Mushrooms are difficult to accurately identify, you have to know what you’re looking at and even then you often have to examine the spores under a microscope to get an accurate ID on them. Most of the stuff you’ll randomly find in your yard will be toxic.
How can I tell if a mushroom is poisonous?
Edible mushrooms have smooth and more or less white caps with no visible or noticeable raised warts or scales. On the contrary, poisonous mushrooms, for instance, the toxic fly agaric have a different colored cap (usually red with white spots) which has conspicuous scales and raised lumps.
Are green giant mushrooms good for you?
Green Giant Sliced Mushrooms is a nutritious addition to any meal with only 15 calories per serving. This 6 ounce glass jar is not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol.
What are green mushrooms?
Green mushrooms are one of the most versatile fungi on the planet. They come from different mushroom families, ranging from the common green russula to more rare green coral. These mushrooms occur in different places from lawns to forest floors, making them universally accessible to foragers.
What does a green mushroom look like?
Light tan-green gills under a cream-colored cap give this mushroom its unique name. The green tinge comes from the microscopic spores that live in the gills, which are naturally green. In fact, if you place the cap of a green-spored parasol on a white piece of paper, gill side-down for a few hours, it will leave a green spore print behind.
What are green rusulla mushrooms?
Green Rusulla mushrooms have a rich nutty aroma and are consumed mostly in Europe and Asia. This mushroom also grows to a diameter of up to 6 inches, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world.