Tag Archives: Fly Amanita

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I am seeing lots of these beautiful Fly Amanitas these days. Wayne Smith found a nice grouping of them recently.

When they come up, they are bright red but they do lighten as shown by nine-year-old Damien Baker's photo.

I learned from mushroom expert, David Arora, that these mushrooms can be prepared to be edible. It involves parboiling twice, throwing out the water between boilings. I prefer just to watch them evolve in the forest!

Thanks to Wayne and Damien for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

It was cloudy today with a few sprinkles. Temps in the mid-50's. Happy full day of Winter!

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Fly Amanitas, Amanita muscaria, have been popping up on the Mendonoma Coast. We are taking a break from the rains with sunny, very mild weather. These red-capped mushrooms with the white spots seem pretty darn happy. Kurt Fuchs photographed one recently.

As did Cece Case.

And Wayne Smith.

Dan Lewis also joined in the fun.

These mushrooms can be eaten, I'm told by David Arora, if you parboil them twice, throwing out the water between boils. Personally, I'd rather watch them in the forest and in meadows. They are fascinating as they evolve. I had a group growing under a huckleberry bush, but they all got eaten one night! Mushrooms feed a lot of critters.

Thanks to all above who allowed me to share their photos with  you here.

To all who celebrate the holiday today,  Happy Thanksgiving!

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Joanne Angerame found her first Boletus edulis, with the help of her golden retriever, Riley. It's obvious Riley approves!

Even thought it's quite warm and dry right now, another edible mushroom is up - Coccora.

These mushrooms are in the Amanita family, and they are not for beginning foragers. They have a deadly look-a-like. You need to learn all three identification of this mushroom. Personally, I would never eat one I hadn't picked. One of their identifiers is their creamy top.

This morning Rick and I saw the first Fly Amanita up, always a fun sighting.

It's not an edible unless you parboil it twice, as David Arora showed a group of us one year on a mushroom forage. I prefer to watch them evolve, as they change shape quite dramatically.

Thanks to Joanne for allowing me to share her fun photo with you here.

Sunny skies with passing clouds is the order of the day.

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To see these cheery mushrooms poking up after our autumn rains always makes me smile. We have a spot on our property where they appear in great numbers. Here is how Fly Amanitas, Amanita muscaria, look with they first appear.

Then they open up and reveal their true selves.

Here is one with a "baby" underneath.

Our golden retriever, Sunny, does his best not to step on them as he heads down into the forest.

These mushrooms have hallucinogenic qualities. It's possible to parboil the toxins out, I've been told by mushroom expert David Arora. I prefer just to watch them evolve. They make me happy to look at them!

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Fly Amanitas, Amanita muscaria, have been known as symbols of good luck. Craig Tooley recently photographed one of these distinctive mushrooms.

Judy Woudenberg also captured a photo of one. They change size rather dramatically as they age. Judy's is younger than Craig's.

Not edible unless parboiled several times to flush away the toxins. I just enjoy seeing them in sunny meadows, flaunting their bold beauty as I walk by.

Thanks to Craig and Judy for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com