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Yellow Morel (Common Morel)

Common Morel

Morel mushrooms

Morel Mushroom

Video of morel mushrooms in the wild.
Morchella esculentoides (formerly M. esculenta)
Family: 
Morchellaceae
Description: 

Honeycombed cap with yellow to yellow-gray to yellow-brown ridges and pits; completely hollow. April and early May. Cap oval to elongate, with randomly arranged and oriented ridges and pits; ridges and pits are yellow to yellow-gray to yellow-brown; deeply pitted; hollow; bottom of cap is fused to the stalk. Stalk sometimes enlarged at the base; whitish; ribbed; hollow. Spore print creamy yellow to ocher-yellow. Spores magnified are elliptical, smooth. Spores are located inside the pits. The yellow morel can be small and grayish, but late in the season it can be very large, up to 12 inches high.

Lookalikes: The poisonous false morels (Gyromitra caroliniana and G. brunnea) are reddish and have wrinkled, lobed, or brain-shaped caps and dense (not hollow) stalks. The bottom half of the cap of the half-free morel (M. punctipes) hangs free from the stalk. The cap of the black morel (M. angusticeps) has blackish or dark brown ridges and is more conical.

Size: 
Cap width: 1½–3 inches; cap height: 2½–6 inches (cap is sometimes much larger); stalk length: 1–2 inches; stalk width: ½–2 inches.
Habitat and conservation: 
Grows singly or in groups of up to many on the ground in deciduous woods and in disturbed or recently burned areas. Found especially under dying elms and living white ashes and cottonwoods; also under tulip poplars, oaks, and hickories. American morels have recently been reclassified using DNA studies. It was thought the same species grew in North America and Europe, but that is not the case. This species was called "Morchella esculenta," but that name now only applies to European morels.
Distribution in Missouri: 
Statewide.
Status: 
Morels are choice edible mushrooms. They are delicious, and there are many recipes for them. It is traditional in Missouri to deep-fry them, but they are excellent sautéed in butter or creamed. If you find a lot, you can dry them for later. As with all wild mushrooms, always cook them; don't eat them raw. Clean them first by slicing them lengthwise and soaking them for a while in salted water. This should rid them of any insects.
Life cycle: 
Mushrooms exist most of the year as a network of cells (mycelium) penetrating the soil or rotting material. When ready to reproduce, the mycelium develops mushrooms, which produce spores that, once released, can begin new mycelia elsewhere. For at least part of its life cycle, this species is a saprobe, “eating” decaying materials such as dead leaves or wood. It also might be mycorrhizal, spending part of its cycle connected to tree roots in a relationship benefiting both tree and fungus.
Human connections: 
Humans have eaten mushrooms for thousands of years. Morels are especially prized for their culinary value and are a favorite of mushroom hunters. Mushroom hunting is an exciting, fun, and rewarding hobby.
Ecosystem connections: 
Many animals relish morels, from deer and squirrels to the tiny insects that we rinse off before cooking. Belowground, morels form symbiotic relationships with roots of many trees, helping them get nutrients. As saprophytes, morels decompose dead leaves and wood, helping them return to the soil.

Related Information

  • Morels

    A favorite Missouri wild edible, morels only appear in the spring. They're very hard to see, but that's part of the fun of hunting them. Learn to identify them, and you can enjoy the hunt, too.

  • Black Morel

    The black morel is a prized edible mushroom. It has a honeycombed cap with black to brownish black ridges and yellowish brown pits. It is completely hollow and grows in the spring.

  • Half-Free Morel

    The half-free morel is an excellent edible mushroom. It's completely hollow. It has a honeycombed cap with brownish black ridges and yellowish brown pits. The bottom half hangs free from the whitish stalk.

  • False Morels

    This group of poisonous mushrooms includes species that are commonly confused with the delectable morels. Before you go mushroom hunting, learn how to tell the difference between these fungi and the truly edible morels.

  • Mushrooming

    Many Missouri mushrooms are edible, but proper identification is essential to avoid illness and even death. Get hunting, identification and cooking guidance here.

  • Morel Recipes

    Fresh morels are a tasty harbinger of spring. Take advantage of wild Missouri's little hidden treasures with these recipes.

External Links

  • Missouri Mycological Society

    The Missouri Mycological Society (MOMS) is an organization of individuals and families dedicated to the study and enjoyment of mushrooms.

Other Content You May Like

  • Black Morel

    The black morel is a prized edible mushroom. It has a honeycombed cap with black to brownish black ridges and yellowish brown pits. It is completely hollow and grows in the spring.

  • Half-Free Morel

    The half-free morel is an excellent edible mushroom. It's completely hollow. It has a honeycombed cap with brownish black ridges and yellowish brown pits. The bottom half hangs free from the whitish stalk.

  • Morel Mushroom Hunt

    Use this video to learn how to hunt morel mushrooms.

  • The Wild Morels

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  • Morel Stuffing Recipe

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  • Morel Season a Bust?

    A week or two ago, newspaper columnist Ken White raised the question of what had happened to morels this year.

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