Learn where to legally forage wild mushrooms in Pennsylvania, how to avoid toxic look-alikes, and key safety tips. This guide covers laws, common edible mushrooms, and best practices to help you forage safely and responsibly.
Foraging
7 Amazing Wild Mushrooms in PA
Pennsylvania is home to an incredible variety of wild mushrooms. Whether you’re a forager, a nature lover, or just curious about fungi, you’ll find plenty of interesting and useful mushrooms in the forests, fields, and even your own backyard. Here are seven amazing wild mushrooms that grow in PA, along with tips on how to identify them.
Laetiporus Sulphureus – Chicken of the Woods
Chicken of the Woods is an awesome mushroom that has the texture of chicken and can really take on the flavor of the dish you are preparing.
Poisonous PA Mushrooms we have found
There are hundreds of different types of Mushrooms in Pennsylvania. While note edible, they are beautiful. This page has a sample of mushrooms that are not necessarily toxic but are not considered palatable.
Pear-Shaped Puffball Mushrooms
I was excited to see a new mushroom so we picked them to save in case we found out later they were edible. They are indeed edible, but… make sure you eat them fast. We kept our overnight in a paper bag and they went to spore but the next morning.
Edible Mushrooms in PA – Western Pennsylvania Mushrooms
If you are looking for good eats, here are mushrooms we have found throughout western PA. Where possible, I tried getting multiple images from multiple angles.
Staghorn Sumac – No, its not Poisonous
Growing up, we were told this was Poison Sumac. Turns out, this is Staghorn Sumac and practically the entire plant is editable (or at least, useful) in some form or another! We are lucky enough to have 4 or 5 of these growing in our yard and this year, we cut down...
Oyster Mushrooms in PA
Oyster mushrooms are an extremely common mushroom in western Pennsylvania and very easy to recognize. Keep your eye out for these tasty treats growing on a tree near you!