Safety Disclaimer

When in doubt, throw it out

Never eat a wild mushroom unless you are 100% certain of its identification. Many mushrooms are toxic, and some are deadly.

Suspect poisoning? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (US) or your local emergency services immediately, even before symptoms start. The most dangerous toxins act with a delay.

What this site is, and is not

KnowTheSpore is a reference you read at home. It is not a verdict on the mushroom in your hand. If you treat a page here as a verdict on a mushroom you picked, that mistake can end in a hospital visit.

This site is

  • A place to learn species, features, and risks
  • A guide to the lookalikes that cause poisonings
  • Supported by named safety sources

This site is not

  • An identification service for your photos
  • A substitute for in-person expert verification
  • Medical advice or a treatment guide

Educational information only

Everything here is for education, and none of it clears a specific mushroom for your plate. Photos and written descriptions cannot reliably show every decisive feature. Spore color, smell, the stem base, bruising, and microscopic detail can all stay hidden. Real identification is hands-on. Learn it beside a local mycological society or an experienced forager, and treat every page here as a starting point, never the final word on what is safe to eat.

Warning signs that mean act now

Symptoms can start in minutes or wait many hours. Do not take a slow start as good news, because the deadliest toxins are the slowest to show.

Seek emergency care if, after eating any wild mushroom, you notice:

  • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, especially 6 or more hours after eating
  • Stomach cramps that keep returning
  • Sweating, drooling, or blurred vision
  • Confusion, dizziness, or hallucinations
  • Yellowing skin or eyes in the days that follow

If you suspect poisoning

Act first and identify the mushroom later. Follow these steps right away, without waiting to feel worse.

  1. Call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) or emergency services right away.
  2. Save any uneaten mushroom, and a sample of vomit if possible, for identification.
  3. Note when it was eaten and when symptoms started. The timing guides treatment.
  4. Do not try to treat it yourself or wait it out. Get to an emergency department.

No liability

KnowTheSpore and its contributors accept no liability for any loss, illness, injury, or death arising from use of this site. You are solely responsible for what you pick, handle, or eat.

Not medical advice

Content about medicinal or functional mushrooms is not medical advice, and it is no substitute for a qualified clinician. Do not use any mushroom to treat a condition without speaking to a clinician first.

The one rule that keeps foragers alive: eat a wild mushroom only when you are certain of its identification, and only after the preparation that species needs, such as thorough cooking. The foraging safety rules keep the whole specimen, its habitat, and its dangerous lookalikes in that decision.