Morel

Magnificent Morels of May!

Oakland County, MI Government 1 Comment
Two morel mushrooms

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

“April showers bring May flowers.” We heard that saying frequently when the spring rains came and crocuses and daffodils bloomed. April showers, however, bring more than May flowers. They create ideal emergence conditions for morel mushrooms (Morchella esculenta).    

In this blog post, Magnificent Morels of May, readers will be introduced to the basics of morels and morel hunting, with a word of necessary caution: never consume any wild fungus unless you know its identity and edibility with 100 percent certainty. Although all of the accompanying photos show morel mushrooms, there is a great variation in the color and size of individual specimens. Some morels are so large you could insert a smaller one inside as an eye-catching photo opportunity!

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The Hunt for Morel Mushrooms is On Again!

Oakland County, MI Government 3 Comments

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

The hunt for elusive morel mushrooms is underway. With a bit of knowledge, and the willingness to walk slowly while scanning the forest floor, your gourmet reward of fantastic fungi might just be sizzling in a frying pan before the lilacs bloom.

Safety First: If you are not 100% certain you actually found a morel mushroom, don’t eat it. That is just common sense. A Facebook posting may not be the best way to make a positive identification. Morel mushrooms vary in size, color and sometimes shape. And of course never mix different kinds of mushrooms in your collection bag. Michigan State University Extension has identified at least 50 types of poisonous mushrooms found in Michigan, among them the false morels.

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Fantastic Fungi: Morel Madness is Underway

Oakland County, MI Government 4 Comments

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

Check out our most recent post on this topic: The Hunt for Morel Mushrooms is On Again!

The hunt for elusive morel mushrooms is underway. With a bit of knowledge, and the willingness to walk slowly while scanning the forest floor, your gourmet reward of fantastic fungi might just be sizzling in a frying pan before the lilacs bloom.

Safety First:  If you are not 100% certain you actually found a morel mushroom, don’t eat it. That is just common sense. A Facebook posting may not be the best way to make a positive identification. Morel mushrooms vary in size, color and sometimes shape.  And of course never mix different kinds of mushrooms in your collection bag.  Michigan State University Extension has identified at least 50 types of poisonous mushrooms found in Michigan, among them the false morels.

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Morel cut open to show the hollow inside.

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The Hunt for Morels Is On in Oakland County!

Oakland County, MI Government 1 Comment

Check out our most recent post on this topic: The Hunt for Morel Mushrooms is On Again!

We’ve seen so much excitement about morel season popping up on social media sites so we asked Oakland County Parks and Recreation’s Nature Education Writer, Jonathan Schechter, to share some helpful hints to use when on the hunt for morels. Jonathan shared photos of his recent successes and answered some questions for us too.

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