WiseAcre Gardens


North Country Wildflowers & Perennials that survive winters colder than my wife’s feet

Morel Foraging

Posted by WiseAcre on May 13th, 2009
2009
May 13

After 3 days of searching I finally came across my prey. I figured it best to go unprepared today since going with a harvest bag didn’t work the last two days. I was right, I needed a bag today.

Morels can be hard to find at times. Take this one for example, hiding in plain sight, camouflaged by last year’s old grass.

Morel

I found a good group of them growing around an old dead Elm tree. Once you spot the first one a close look usually revels several more. The trick is to see that first one. A good place to look is by old apple trees and dead Elms. But they really can be found almost anywhere. I’ve found them in shady maple woods, lawns, open areas in pine woods and in my friend’s harvest basket. But my best hunting has always been around old dead Elms in open grassy areas.

Morel
This little one emerged at the edge of some bark and was bent over by the effort.

Yellow Morel – Morchella esculenta

Morels of any type are considered choice eating. (not by me) They are spring mushrooms often timing their appearance with the fist Lilac blooms. While they are fairly small some grow to considerable size and are sometimes referred to as M. deliciosa. Whether or not the later and larger ones are actually a different species is something the experts can debate over.

Yellow Morel - Morchella esculenta
Something has been eating this mushroom – It may very well be inside now.

Regardless of the size (or name) make sure you check them carefully before eating. Humans are not the only ones who like Morels in their diet. Slugs and insects are very often part of the harvest.

Morels

Beware: False Morels can look similar but they have a wrinkled look without the distinct ridges and pits of the true morels. Another big difference is how the cap attaches to the stem. False morels have a head that hangs over the stalk like a skirt while true morels have the cap / head attached at the lower end. False Morels are dangerous unless you can positively ID them. While some are edible others are Poisonous and some deadly so.

Dryad’s Saddle Mushroom

Posted by WiseAcre on May 12th, 2009
2009
May 12

Polyporus squamosus

This mushroom is also known as ‘Pheasant’s Back’ and is a large scaly mushroom that is often found by Morel Hunters. Compared to Morels, Dryad’s Saddles are easy to find. They grow on deciduous wood and are easily spotted on old stumps.

Dryad's Saddle - mushroom
Early growth looks like stems with the caps broken off. But even then they have the ’scales’ on top.

Their real season is in May but they will grow throughout the season. Their range extends from eastern Canada to North Carolina and then over to the Midwest.

Dryad's Saddle stem
The stem is quite thick and set off center.

Dryad's Saddle - Polyporus squamosus
Dryad’s Saddles grow singly or in groups. Either way they are an odd looking life form.

As the name implies – Polyporus squamosus – is a polypore and not a gilled mushroom.

Polyporus squamosus - pores

Dryad's Saddle - scale   This is not the largest one I’ve found. It’s the one where I thought to take a photo to show size.

Dryad’s Saddles are edible. They get tough with age and are supposed to taste like watermelon rind. I haven’t tried any and am likely to eat one only on a bet.

And it would take a sizable bet.

Dryad's Sadde Mushroom

Any takers?

Scarlet Elf Caps

Posted by WiseAcre on Apr 18th, 2009
2009
Apr 18

Would you wear one or do you prefer to dress up in Fairy outfits?

Bright Scarlet is an understatement when describing the glowing color of these early spring mushrooms. Only the tiniest bit of color peeking out from under the forest leaf litter was enough to catch my attention. Brushing aside the leaves I discovered a group of Scarlet Elf Cap Mushrooms.

Sarcoscypha coccinea

Scarlet Elf Cup Mushrooms
Linked to a 1024 x 768 sized image suitable for desktop wallpaper.

I made the discovery on April 13 in an old sugar maple bush. The Elf Caps were growing on a half buried rotting branch. The wet woods in this area suits them fine. Their range appears to go cross county but my field guides specifically mention the East, North West and California. I can only guess why. In warmer areas their season can begin as early as November and go to April. Here where winters are colder than my wife’s feet the season starts about now and may go to August.

The cup size varies from less than a half inch up to just over 2 inches. They have a somewhat flexible flesh that is odorless and tasteless. They are edible but what’s the point?

Scarlet Elf Cup Mushrooms

I was thrilled to find these. Not only was it the first mushroom of the season – I was actually able to identify it. For me it takes a really unique ’something’ in order to get their name.

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