What kinds of poisonous mushrooms are found in North America?

If you spend time outside, you’ve probably asked this question at least once. Poisonous mushrooms definitely have an infamous reputation.

Below, I have listed common poisonous mushrooms you can expect to find in North America. But in NO WAY is this a complete listing of dangerous fungi. There are thousands of mushrooms in North America, so reviewing and writing about every toxic species is nearly impossible.

IMPORTANT: I can’t stress enough that you should NEVER eat a mushroom you find. As you will see below, there are many poisonous types, and some species will kill you. So stay safe, and don’t eat any wild mushrooms unless you are with a mycologist (mushroom expert)!

22 Poisonous MUSHROOMS in North America:

#1. Lilac Bonnet

Mycena pura

Also called Lilac Mycenas or Lilac Bellcaps.

The caps begin as lilac or purple and bell-shaped but flatten and fade to other shades, including whitish, yellowish, pinkish brown, or reddish as they age.
The stems are smooth and white or flushed with the cap’s color.

These toxic mushrooms are one of the most beautiful fungi in North America. Their unusual lilac coloring makes them a treat for hikers and adventurers to spot as they grow on the ground of coniferous and hardwood forests. Their radish-like odor can also help you to distinguish them.

Despite all their charm, Lilac Bonnets are fun to look at but not to eat. These mushrooms contain several toxic compounds.

Lilac Bonnets contain sesquiterpene, which can cause vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea, and strobilurin, which is often used in agricultural fungicides.

They also contain small amounts of muscarine, which causes symptoms like blurred vision, excessive sweating, increased salivation, and abdominal issues.

Interestingly, Lilac Bonnets weren’t always thought to be toxic. It’s possible to find older mushroom field guides that list Lilac Bonnets as edible.

#2. Death Cap

Amanita phalloides

The caps are usually shiny, sometimes appearing slimy when wet.
They may be olive green, dirty yellow, or tan, and they are convex at first but flatten as they age.
Their white stems have a bulbous base surrounded by a sac-like veil, the top of which often remains attached higher up the stem and looks a bit like a skirt.

The Death Cap is often listed as the most deadly toxic mushroom in North America.

Concerning this unassuming killer mushroom, Voltaire famously noted, “This mushroom dish has changed the destiny of Europe” after the death of Charles VI from Deathcap poisoning, which led to the War of Austrian Succession.

Other suspected victims of the Death Cap include Russian tsaritsa Natalia Naryshkina, Roman Emperor Claudius, and Pope Clement VII.

It’s responsible for the majority of mushroom poisoning fatalities worldwide. Thousands of others have died after mistaking this mushroom for an edible species, especially at its small, button stage.

Reportedly, Death Caps have a pleasant flavor but contain several deadly compounds, including amatoxins and phallotoxins. Ingesting these compounds, even in small amounts, usually results in liver failure and may affect other organs like the kidneys.

Death Caps live in symbiotic relationships with oak and beech trees. They sometimes form circles in the forest, often called fairy rings, which has helped lead to some of the mystique surrounding them.

#3. Splitgill Mushroom

Schizophyllum commune

The caps are 1–4 cm (0.3–1.6 in) wide.
They are pale white or gray and grow in stacked clusters that resemble shelves.
As its name suggests, the gills of this mushroom are spaced apart like individual threads.

These toxic mushrooms thrive in North America on decaying trees during rainy periods.

These tough, leathery mushrooms were once thought to be nonpoisonous. However, recent research shows they’re often linked to fungal infections of the lungs. Symptoms can include breathing problems, prolonged cough, and other respiratory ailments.

#4. Funeral Bell / Deadly Skullcap

Galerina marginata

The caps are usually pale yellow, brown, or orange, depending on age and weather, and are generally darker colored toward the center.
They have tan, fairly crowded gills and pale, thin flesh that darkens with age.

This aptly named toxic mushroom contains the same compounds as the famous Death Cap mushroom. These deadly compounds are known as amatoxins, and consuming them can result in SEVERE liver damage.

It is believed that about ten fatal poisonings in the last century can be attributed to the Funeral Bell.

This mushroom is often mistaken by foragers looking for edible or hallucinogenic mushroom species.

Foragers sometimes refer to these and other similar-looking mushrooms as LBMs or “little brown mushrooms” because they can be difficult to distinguish.

One of the identifying features of this poisonous mushroom in North America is that it grows on decaying wood. Funeral Bells most frequently grow on conifer stumps and logs but are occasionally spotted in deciduous forests or even in open fields where woodchips have been dumped.

#5. Fly Agaric

Amanita muscaria

The caps are scarlet or dark orange with white, wart-like spots, which may wash off as mushrooms mature.
The stalk is white and brittle with shaggy rings of scales, a bulbous base, a cup-like veil near the base, and a skirt-like veil near the top.

The Fly Agaric is arguably the most iconic poisonous mushroom in North America.

This colorful toadstool has an equally colorful history. The name “fly” may come from the mushroom’s historical use as an insecticide in parts of Europe. It contains ibotenic acid, which attracts and kills flies.

However, some people believe the name refers to the hallucinations that result from its consumption. This mushroom once saw widespread use in religious ceremonies.

Through the ages, this mushroom has also been wrapped up in fairytales and folklore. You may remember it as the mushroom Alice is given to eat in Alice in Wonderland or as the mushrooms in the Super Mario Bros games.

Fly Agarics grow in symbiotic associations with trees and can be found in delicious and coniferous forests in temperate and boreal regions.

While it is poisonous, deaths due to consuming Fly Agaric are rare.

#6. Eastern American Jack-O’-Lantern

Omphalotus illudens

The caps are 3-20 cm (1-8 in) wide.
Their coloring is bright orange to pale yellow.
These mushrooms have a typical toadstool shape, thick stalk, and a large, flat cap.

You might find it odd that a mushroom is named after a popular Halloween decoration. However, once you learn more about Eastern American Jack-O’-Lantern mushrooms, you’ll quickly start to understand!

First, the coloring of this fungus is remarkably similar to bright orange pumpkins. Imagine a spooky face on the cap, and you’ll see what I mean.

But probably the most interesting similarity between Jack-O’-Lanterns and this mushroom is that they both glow in the dark. That’s right! Eastern American Jack-O’-Lantern Mushrooms have a bioluminescent chemical that allows them to glow green in the dark. This glowing green light is thought to attract insects, which then distribute the mushroom’s spores.

By KeithMiklas – Own work, via Wikipedia

Use caution when handling this mushroom. Eastern American Jack-O’-Lanterns are poisonous to humans and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps if ingested.

They contain a toxic compound called sesquiterpene, which causes cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. Thankfully, though toxic, these mushrooms aren’t usually deadly. Many novice mushroom hunters mistake them for edible chantarelles.

#7. Sulphur Tuft

Hypholoma fasciculare

The caps are 2–6 cm (0.8–2.4 in) in diameter.
Their coloring is light yellow but darkens to greenish as they mature.
This fungus grows in clusters of long-stalked, bell-shaped mushrooms.

Look for Sulphur Tuft Mushrooms in North America on fallen logs, tree stumps, and buried roots in deciduous forests. This fungus is hardy and thrives in many environments. In fact, you can often find Sulphur Tufts even in places where other mushrooms won’t grow.

They look similar to some varieties of edible mushrooms, but you should NOT handle or eat Sulphur Tufts. They are poisonous to humans, whether raw or cooked. This fungus causes vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, kidney disease, and, in rare cases, death.

#8. Violet-toothed Polypore

Trichaptum biforme

The caps are 1-7.5 cm (0.4-3 in) wide.
Their shape is an irregular semicircle, similar to a seashell.
The coloring of this fungus is shades of brown with violet, purple, or lavender rings near the edges.

If you spot a mushroom in North America that looks like a clamshell, it’s likely a Violet-toothed Polypore! This species can be identified by its shell-like shape and striped purple coloring. It grows in stacked clusters on rotting logs.

Interestingly, Violet-toothed Polypore is known to only grow on decaying aspen and poplar trees. So, if you live near a forest with those species, you’ll likely find this poisonous mushroom!

Violet-toothed Polypore is inedible and causes stomach problems and dehydration. Make sure to keep your pets away from this toxic mushroom, as it’s particularly poisonous for dogs.

#9. False Morel

Gyromitra esculenta

The caps are brain-like, red-brown, wrinkled, and usually wider than tall.
They usually have more solid stems with small air pockets than true morels, which have hollow stems.

The False Morel is one of the more controversial poisonous mushrooms in North America.

False Morels contain a compound called Gyromitrin, which the human body metabolizes into Monomethylhydrazine, a major component in rocket fuel.

This compound can damage the liver, central nervous system, and occasionally the kidneys. Victims may experience diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, and even death.

Given this horrible effect, it will probably surprise you to learn that part of its Latin name, esculenta, means edible!

In order to eat these funky-looking mushrooms, people use specific cooking techniques. These may include blanching the mushrooms outside or in a well-ventilated area, as Gyromitrin can become airborne during cooking.

Unfortunately, several instances of poisoning from False Morels, including fatalities, have occurred. It’s best to leave these to the experts! DO NOT TRY EATING THIS MUSHROOM.

False Morels usually grow in deciduous and coniferous forests in temperate regions. They often thrive in areas with sandy soil, and in coniferous forests, they are frequently found around pine trees.

#10. Green-spored Parasol

Chlorophyllum molybdites

The caps are 8-30 cm (3-12 in) in diameter.
This mushroom is white or off-white with irregular brown spots and warts.
The gills are visible around the edges of the top and very prominent on the underside.

This is the most frequently eaten poisonous mushroom in North America!

Green-spored Parasols bear an unfortunate resemblance to several edible fungi, which means they’re often eaten by mistake. In addition, this fungus causes severe stomach symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and colic.

Unfortunately, this mushroom is common on lawns and pastures, putting children and pets at greater risk for poisoning. Please keep them away from these mushrooms!

Green-spored Parasols grow directly from the ground instead of from tree logs or other decaying wood. We recently had a cluster pop up after we had new mulch put down. The spores are often present in soil or mulch and can remain dormant until the next fruiting season.

#11. Yellow Patches

Amanita flavoconia

The caps are 5.5-11.5 cm (2.2-4.5 in) long.
Their coloring is bright orange to yellow, with a yellow and white stem.
This mushroom typically erupts as a single toadstool-shaped growth.

If you come across a yellow mushroom that looks more like a cartoon, you might have found this variety! Yellow Patches are large toadstool-like mushrooms with bright orange or yellow caps. They have prominent yellow warts.

Although its toxicity hasn’t been confirmed, it’s assumed to be poisonous because this mushroom is a part of the Amanita family. Therefore, it shouldn’t be handled or consumed.

Instead, take a picture and impress your friends with your knowledge of common fungi!

#12. Poison Pie

Hebeloma crustuliniforme

The caps begin as convex but flatten with age and are off-white to pale, darker towards the center.
The stems are off-white with a slightly wider base, and the whole mushrooms have a firm, white inner flesh.

The name Poison Pie should be enough to keep any forager away from this toxic mushroom. But its other common name, Fairy Cakes, is a bit misleading!

Though less deadly than some species like the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides), Poison Pie is not a mushroom you want to snack on.

Consuming Poison Pie mushrooms can result in abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Thankfully, Poison Pies are rather unappealing anyway. They have strong radish-like aroma and bitter flavor.

Poison Pies have symbiotic relationships with various tree species. You may find them growing singly or in small groups in deciduous or coniferous forests.

#13. Common Conecap

Pholiotina rugosa

The caps are usually smooth and brown and begin as conical but flatten as they age, generally retaining a raised point in the center.
The stem is smooth and brown with a prominent, moveable ring.

Common Conecaps may be small and unassuming, but they are a DEADLY toxic mushroom in North America.

These little brown mushrooms are sometimes mistaken for psychedelic mushrooms because they have a similar-looking cap.

Unfortunately for wayward foragers, Common Conecaps contain a toxic compound called alpha-amanitin. When consumed, this deadly toxin can cause liver failure.

Common Conecaps are fairly widespread. They feed on decaying material and usually grow in open areas. It’s common to find these poisonous mushrooms growing in gardens or around landscaped flowerbeds and shrubs.

*You may find guidebooks listing this mushroom as Conocybe filaris, which is now considered a synonym for Pholiotina rugosa.*

#14. Common Earthball

Scleroderma citrinum

They have round, flattened fruiting bodies with hard, scaly, and yellowish to yellow-brown surfaces and white inner rinds that stain pink when sliced.
The inner spore mass is white on young mushrooms but turns dark purple to purple-black with age, spreading outward from the center.
They have no real stem, but you may find some mycelium threads running into the soil.

These mysterious toxic mushrooms look more like potatoes than fungi at first glance! These odd-looking mushrooms have an unusual method of spore dispersal, too.

Rather than releasing spores from their gills like many mushrooms, these mushrooms eventually form a split in their top as they mature. Each time raindrops, animals, or anything bumps the mushroom, clouds of spores will be released through the slit, eventually leaving just a hollow rind.

You can find Common Earthballs growing in deciduous and coniferous forests and heaths. They do best in soft, sandy, acidic soil.

While not deadly, this mushroom is responsible for many poisonings each year.

It’s commonly confused with Common Puffballs (Lycoperdon perlatum), which are edible mushrooms.

#15. Saddle-shaped False Morel

Gyromitra Infula

Their surface may be smooth to somewhat bumpy and irregular, variable in color, and can be tan to yellowish brown, reddish brown, or dark brown.
The stems are roundish or slightly compressed and are usually white or pink-tinged with white mycelium near the base.

These toxic mushrooms get their name from their tell-tale, two-lobed saddle shape.

Though there are reports of people eating these mushrooms after boiling, most experts conclude Saddle-shaped False Morels are toxic. They contain contain the compound Gyromitrin.

Interestingly, the human body metabolizes Gyromitrin into Monomethylhydrazine, a significant component in rocket fuel.

Saddle-shaped False Morels usually grow in North America in boreal, montane, or coastal forests. They often grow in close associations with several specific tree species, including Western White Pine, Black Spruce, Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Balsam Poplar, and Paper Birch.

You may spot Saddle-shaped False Morels growing singly or in small groups, often on rotten wood. It’s also commonly found growing on packed ground, like along rural roads or in campgrounds.

#16. Destroying Angel

Amanita bisporigera

The caps are smooth and white and may reach up to 4 inches (10cm) across.
The stems are white, up to 5.5 inches (14 cm) long, and have white skirt-like rings near the top and bulbous bases covered in sac-like membranes.

**The Destroying Angel is the most toxic Amanita mushroom in North America.**

Three different types of amatoxins have been found in Destroying Angels. These compounds affect the body in stages, causing abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, electrolyte imbalance, shock, liver failure, kidney failure, and eventually death.

Eating a single Destroying Angel is enough to be fatal.

Unfortunately, these are sometimes confused with edible mushrooms. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, four deaths have been attributed to The Destroying Angel in the last 40 years.

When young, Destroying Angels don’t have much of a smell. However, as they age, many people report they smell sickly sweet or like rotting meat.

Despite their poisonous reputation, Destroying Angels live in beneficial relationships with trees. They grow around the roots of trees, receiving moisture, protection, and nutrients from the roots while helping to break down organic matter into nutrients that the roots can take up into the tree.

#17. Fool’s Funnel

Clitocybe rivulosa

The caps may begin as convex, white, and slightly dusty but become pale gray or brown and flatten or even become depressed in the center as they mature.
The flesh is off-white, and the stems are white or off-white, sometimes with a tan blush, and have no skirts.

These highly poisonous mushrooms in North America are sometimes confused with edible champignon mushrooms. This confusion and their funnel-like shape are why they’ve earned the names Fool’s Funnels or False Champignons.

You would have to be a fool to eat these intentionally! Fool’s Funnels contain the compound muscarine, which causes symptoms similar to those caused by exposure to a nerve agent.

Consuming these mushrooms will cause increased salivation, sweating, and tear production within 30 minutes.

In large doses, these symptoms are followed by labored breathing, abdominal pain, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Thankfully, in most cases, the symptoms subside in a couple of hours, but in severe cases, death from respiratory failure can occur.

Fool’s Funnels are quite common, and they often grow in circles, called fairy rings, or in loose groups called troops. These mushrooms grow in open areas, and you may spot them in pastures, yards, fields, and along paths and roadsides.

#18. Deadly Parasol

Lepiota subincarnata

Also known as the Fatal Dapperling.

The caps begin as convex, velvety, and pink-brown, but as they mature, they flatten, though typically retaining a hump in the center.
The stems are wide and pale cream to pink near the top with scattered velvety warts or bands of the cap’s color on the lower 3/4 of the stem.

These velvet-topped mushrooms may look cute, but as their name suggests, they can be deadly.

Containing high concentrations of amatoxins, Deadly Parasols are among the most poisonous mushrooms in North America.

When consumed, these amatoxins initially cause diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

Oddly, these symptoms usually subside in about one day, only to reoccur within 72 hours. This second round of symptoms is generally joined by the symptoms of liver and kidney failure.

In some cases, victims die within 7 to 10 days of the first symptoms.

Despite being deadly, these mushrooms often give off a fruity fragrance. Thankfully, people report their flavor as unpleasant, which may help limit the amount that a victim would eat.

You may have already seen a Deadly Parsol without realizing it. These mushrooms are widely distributed and grow alone or in small groups in deciduous forests, mixed woodlands, and occasionally lawns.

#19. Chestnut Dapperling

Lepiota castanea

The caps begin as bell-shaped and are dark red-brown. As they age, they flatten and split, and the red-brown layer often splits into scales with off-white flesh in between and may even wash off the outer edge completely.
The stems are often curved at the base and usually lighter pinkish-cream without scales near the top and scaly red-brown near the base.

These common mushrooms are known as Chestnut Dapperlings or Petite Parasols, but don’t let the cute names fool you! These toxic fungi are deadly.

**Chestnut Dapperlings contain the same compounds, called amatoxins, as the notorious Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) mushrooms.**

When consumed, these compounds cause abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and eventually more severe symptoms like liver failure.

These little poisonous mushrooms grow in North America in deciduous or coniferous woodlands.

Chestnut Dapperlings and other dapperling (Lepiota) species can be difficult to distinguish from one another. However, all of the dapperlings are somewhat toxic, so it’s best to avoid them all.

#20. Panthercap

Amanita pantherina

The caps are dark brown to slightly red-brown with white, wart-like spots with white inner flesh.
The stems are white with a skirt, a shaggy texture below the skirt, and a bulbous base.

A taste of this toxic mushroom in North America can cause hallucinations, retrograde amnesia, delirium euphoria, dysphoria, and synaesthesia.

Panthercaps contain the toxic compounds muscimol and ibotenic acid. While they do cause hallucinations, their effects are likened more to taking overdoses of Z-drugs like Ambien rather than that of classic psychedelic mushrooms.

While it may not be fatal, consuming Panthercaps would be unwise. The concentration of ibotenic acid can vary significantly from mushroom to mushroom, resulting in diarrhea, vomiting, and severe sweating, leading to dehydration.

While it is still disputed, there are also some claims that the Panthercap is one of the mushrooms that Viking warriors “berserkers” chewed before battle. It is claimed that the rage the warriors displayed was due to the mushroom’s side effects.

Usually, you can find Pantercaps growing in North America in deciduous woodlands, though they occasionally grow in coniferous forests as well.

#21. Deadly Webcap

Cortinarius rubellus

Rreddish-brown to orange caps that are convex on young mushrooms but become flatter with a pointed center as they age.
An orange or red/brown stem that may have zig-zag markings and is slightly bulbous toward the lower end.
They have orange, red, or brown gills that may be pale on young mushrooms and light-colored flesh with orange markings.

The Deadly Webcap is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in North America.

It is one of seven highly toxic mushrooms in the subgenus Orellani. All the mushrooms in this group contain the poisonous compound orellanine, which causes liver and kidney failure.

Deadly Webcaps can be especially dangerous because orellanine poisoning may not cause any symptoms for up to two weeks. After this period, the damage is usually already done.

This mushroom has caused several fatalities when it has been mistaken for edible species like chantarelles. Famously, Nicholas Evans, author of The Horse Whisperer, and his family were poisoned after confusing the mushroom with another species.

All four victims of this incident, including Evans, required kidney transplants.

We recommend steering clear of these deadly mushrooms. You will usually find them growing in coniferous woodlands. They thrive in moist, acidic soil.

#22. Western Jack O’ Lantern Mushroom

Omphalotus olivascens

The caps are dull orange to orange-brown and develop olive tinges with age.
The gills are decurrent (going down the stem), usually a similar color to the cap, and bioluminescent.

You might guess these toxic mushrooms are called Jack O’Lanterns for their orange coloring, but you’d be wrong. These exciting fungi light up like Jack O’Lanterns on Halloween! When these mushrooms release spores, their gills give off a blue-green glow.

Scientists aren’t sure why they glow, but one theory is the glow may help attract fungus gnats and other insects to help spread the mushrooms’ spores.

While Western Jack O’Lanterns are beautiful, they aren’t safe for eating. They contain a toxic compound called sesquiterpene, which causes cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Thankfully, though toxic, these mushrooms aren’t usually deadly. Many novice mushroom hunters mistake them for edible chantarelles.