The Top 5 Most Poisonous Mushrooms 

Deadly mushrooms are eaten by snails, but this does not indicate that they are harmless to us. Snails do not have a liver like humans, so the liver-damaging toxins cannot affect them.

If people use one of these five most poisonous mushrooms from the forests in the kitchen, they will end up in the hospital very quickly. We present the five most poisonous domestic mushrooms so that you can avoid them when picking.

(Image by Meik Schmidt from Pixabay)

Not every poisonous mushroom is as easy to spot as a fly agaric (Amanita muscaria).

Poisonous mushrooms can quickly turn a delicious dish like homemade bread dumplings with mushroom soup into a culinary nightmare. With luck, the toxins are so flavorful that they make the food inedible and all alarm bells go off at the first bite. With a bit of bad luck, the pleasure ends with severe stomach cramps, organ failure in the hospital, or even something fatal. We would like to introduce you to the five most poisonous mushrooms that can be found in our forests.

Basic information about mushroom picking

If you want to get into mushroom picking, you shouldn't just blindly go out and collect whatever you can find. Expertise and the necessary equipment to transport the tasty collections home in one piece are essential. In any case, reference books in which the mushrooms are described in detail and illustrated are recommended. If you have the opportunity, you should also take a guided course. Here you will not only learn which mushrooms are native to your area but also be able to pick them up yourself, which will make it easier to recognize them later.

When picking mushrooms, there are a few things to keep in mind. You should never forget to protect yourself from ticks, mosquitoes, etc. To collect mushrooms yourself, it is best to use an open basket in which you place a kitchen towel. This prevents the mushrooms from getting bruised and keeps them cool. Plastic bags are not recommended because, without fresh air, the protein decomposition accelerates, the mushrooms spoil faster, and you may get unnecessary food poisoning. A sharp pocket knife for cutting them off is also a good companion. Once in the kitchen, don't wash the mushrooms, just use kitchen paper or a brush to remove the dirt. Mushrooms can soak up water like a sponge, which hinders later preparation.

The top 5 most poisonous mushrooms:

• Deathcap (Amanita phalloides)

• Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata)

• Destroying angel amanita (Amanita Virosa)

• Fool's webcap (Cortinarius Orellanus)

• Deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus)

Deathcap (Amanita phalloides)

The death cap belonging to the family Amanitaceae is, next to the fly agaric, probably the most known poisonous mushroom in most regions of Europe and also in other parts of the world. The hat of the mushroom has a greenish color in different shades. In the center of the cap, the color is often intense olive and becomes lighter towards the edge. On the underside of the cap, the mushroom has long white lamellae that turn yellowish green with age. On the stalk, which grows cylindrically and is a maximum of 15 cm long, a slight zigzag banding can be seen, which disappears towards the cap under a fine cuff. At the base of the stalk is the eponymous tuberous thickening from which the young mushroom grows. The smell of young mushrooms is sweetish and tends towards honey. In older mushrooms, the smell becomes rather unpleasant. The death cap contains toxic amatoxins and phallotoxins, which even in small amounts can cause severe abdominal cramps, vomiting, circulatory failure, muscle spasms, heart failure, bloody diarrhea, and liver decomposition. Immediate hospitalization is inevitable in this case - the latency period for the toxins to act in the body is 4 to 24 hours.

Occurrence: From July to November, the death cap can be found mainly in sparse deciduous forests under oaks and beeches - more rarely it grows under hornbeams and lime trees.

Caution: Young death cap mushrooms are easily confused with young Puffball, as they do not yet show the characteristic green cap color. The death cap is easily recognizable by its green cap coloration and the "bulb" at the base of the stalk

Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata)

The deadly galerina, known as 'funeral bell', 'deadly skullcap', 'autumn skullcap' or 'deadly galerina', stems from the family of Strophariaceae relatives. The small to about eight cm high mushrooms usually appear in small groups, but can also stand alone in isolated cases. The cap color is honey brown, and directly at the cap edge, it is light brown. On the underside of the cap are lamellae with wide spacing, which are also light brown. The peduncle appears dainty compared to the cap diameter (up to seven cm), is hazelnut-colored, and has a silvery glaze. At the base, it is often intensely white-silver matted. The odor is repulsively musty and is not inviting. It contains phallotoxins and amatoxins that are just as deadly as the death cap.

Occurrence: The deadly Galerina is widespread. It shows itself with its fruiting bodies from August to October and always thrives in connection with dead wood.

Caution: It is beautiful to look at, but if eaten, it is deadly even in small quantities.

European destroying angel amanita (Amanita Virosa)

The destroying angel Amanita also belongs to the death cap family (Amanitaceae) and is no less dangerous. The cap reaches a diameter of up to 15 cm in large specimens, is white, and darkens toward old white in old mushrooms. As a young mushroom, the cap is still hemispherical but later turns out to be plate-shaped to release the spores. On the underside are the likewise white, finely fuzzy lamellae. The stalk, which can be up to 15 cm long, is white to dirty white, fibrous, and "cackled" in color, i.e., unevenly marked. Towards the tip, it disappears under the fine cuff skin, which extends to the cap. At the base of the stalk is also here the eponymous tuber, from which the young mushroom grows. The smell is sweetish and somewhat reminiscent of radish. With age, it becomes musty and unpleasant. The destroying angel Amanita also contains, among other things, toxic amatoxins, and phallotoxins.

Caution: The destroying angel amanita has a mild, not unpleasant taste. However, it is strongly discouraged to try it, as even the smallest doses can cause liver damage! Especially when the cone cap is still young, it is often confused with the button mushroom.

The young destroying angel amanita resembles the young common "button" mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and puffballs mushroom. So they are easy to get confused!

Occurrence: From early summer to late autumn in coniferous or mixed forests. Mostly as a spruce companion. 

Fool's webcap (Cortinarius orellanus)

Belonging to the Cortinariaceae family, the fool's webcap has a deep brown, slightly humped, and finely scaled cap, which stands up slightly with age. This leads to a danger of confusion with chanterelles! The diameter can be up to eight cm. On the underside of the cap are the cinnamon-brown lamellae and intermediate lamellae typical of the fool's webcap. The cylindrical stem is rusty brown at the base and becomes lighter toward the tip. It is velvety and does not have a cuff or ring like the tuberous-leaved mushrooms. The smell goes towards radish. It contains toxic orellanine and nephrotoxins that damage the kidneys and liver. The latency period before the toxins take effect is between 2 and 17 days.

Occurrence: From summer to late autumn in deciduous forests on beech and oak trees. Especially dangerous is that it likes to occur between trumpet chanterelles, which it resembles very much in age.

Caution: the taste of fools webcap is mild and therefore does not stand out negatively among several mushrooms. Older specimens resemble chanterelles. The latency period is long, which is why the reason for the discomfort is often not recognized immediately!

The fool's webcap can be confused with the Chanterelle or Pfifferling (Cantharellus cibarius), but is deadly if eaten!

Deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus)

The deadly webcap looks visually very similar to the 'fool's webcap'. Its cap is slightly smaller (diameter to about 7 cm), orange-red, and erects with age, often tearing the edges. Under the cap are the cinnamon-brown lamellae and intermediate lamellae. Its stem is rusty brown, thickened at the base, and slenderizing toward the tip. It also has no cuff or ring zone and is slightly velvety. The odor is radish-like. The toxins are orellanine and nephrotoxins.

Occurrence: From August to October, moist and marshy soils with moss stand in coniferous forests. Very often it grows under spruces and firs.

Caution: the mild taste is not noticeable among other mushrooms!

There is hardly any danger of confusion with the deadly webcap, its consumption is also deadly even in small quantities.

What are the dangers of wild mushroom foraging?

Wild mushroom foraging can be dangerous because many species of mushrooms are toxic and can cause serious health problems or even death. Some of the dangers of wild mushroom foraging include:

1. Poisoning: Many species of mushrooms contain toxic compounds that can cause symptoms ranging from mild digestive issues to severe liver and kidney failure.
2. Misidentification: Some species of edible mushrooms closely resemble their toxic counterparts, making it difficult for inexperienced foragers to identify them correctly.
3. Allergic reactions: Some individuals may have an allergic reaction to certain species of mushrooms, even if they are not toxic.
4. Unfamiliarity with the environment: Foragers may accidentally consume mushrooms growing in contaminated areas, such as near sources of pollution.
5. Dehydration and heat exhaustion: Mushroom foraging often takes place in the summer and fall, when temperatures are high and the risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion is increased.

It is important to be knowledgeable and cautious when foraging for wild mushrooms and to seek guidance from experienced foragers or local authorities before consuming any wild-picked mushrooms.