Xplor More: Find the Fungi

Morel mushrooms are like nature’s Easter eggs. They’re small, sort of egg-shaped, and hidden among leaves on the forest floor. Searching for them is tons of fun and worth the effort because they taste yummy.

Morels pop up in mid-April after warm rains have dampened the soil and when temperatures stay above 50 degrees for a few days. Look for them in river bottoms and on south-facing slopes, near May apples, dead elms, and ash trees, and in old orchards and recently logged areas.

Warning!

Never eat raw morels. And if you’re not absolutely, positively sure it’s a morel, DON’T EAT IT AT ALL! Some mushrooms are deadly.