NEVER EAT ON A PHOTO ID ·12SPECIES

Mushroom photo ID

What mushroom is this?

Mushrooms.id is a photo identifier for the mushrooms you find on walks, in the yard, and at the market. Snap it, see the closest matches, learn what sets them apart.

Join the waitlistSee the 12 species

How it will work

Snap one photo, see the closest matches

  1. Snap a photo

    Take a picture of the cap, the underside, and the whole stem.

  2. Get the closest matches

    See the likeliest species side by side, with the features that separate them.

  3. Learn what to do next

    Find out which detail to check next, such as spore colour or what it grows on.

Species gallery

Twelve common mushrooms and how to tell them apart

Edible species sit next to the lookalikes people confuse them with. Each card names the feature that separates them.

Swipe for all 12

A yellow morel with a honeycomb-pitted cap standing among green leaves
Edible

Morel

Morchella esculenta

The tellHoneycomb cap, completely hollow inside when sliced.

A reddish-brown false morel with a folded, brain-like cap on the forest floor
Toxic lookalike

False Morel

Gyromitra esculenta

The tellBrain-like wrinkled cap, cottony or chambered inside, not hollow.

Golden chanterelles with wavy caps growing in a line across a mossy forest floor
Edible

Golden Chanterelle

Cantharellus cibarius

The tellBlunt false ridges that run down the stem, not true blade-like gills.

A dense orange cluster of jack-o'-lantern mushrooms growing from a rotting stump
Toxic lookalike

Jack-o'-Lantern

Omphalotus illudens

The tellSharp true gills, grows in dense clusters on wood, glows faintly in the dark.

Overlapping orange shelves of chicken of the woods on a dark tree trunk
Edible

Chicken of the Woods

Laetiporus sulphureus

The tellBright orange shelves with a yellow pore surface, no gills, grows on trees.

A death cap with a pale olive-green cap, a white skirt on the stem and a cup at the base, among dead leaves
Deadly

Death Cap

Amanita phalloides

The tellGreenish cap, white gills, skirt on the stem, sac-like cup at the base.

A slender, pure white destroying angel rising from brown leaf litter
Deadly

Destroying Angel

Amanita bisporigera

The tellPure white all over, skirt on the stem, bulbous base in a sac.

A red fly agaric cap covered in white warts, on a white stem in grass
Toxic

Fly Agaric

Amanita muscaria

The tellRed cap with white warts, the storybook mushroom.

A group of tall white shaggy manes with scaly caps standing in a green lawn
Edible, eat fresh

Shaggy Mane

Coprinus comatus

The tellTall shaggy white cylinder that dissolves into black ink within a day.

A large, smooth white giant puffball among dark green leaves
Edible when pure white inside

Giant Puffball

Calvatia gigantea

The tellSmooth white ball, often soccer-ball size, solid white all the way through when young.

A creamy white lion's mane with hanging spines growing on the side of a tree trunk
Edible

Lion's Mane

Hericium erinaceus

The tellWhite cascading icicle-like spines, no cap, no gills, grows on hardwood.

Grey-brown oyster mushrooms growing in overlapping shelves on a tree trunk
Edible

Oyster Mushroom

Pleurotus ostreatus

The tellFan-shaped cap, gills run down a short off-center stem, grows in shelves on wood.

Where we stand

An ID is a starting point, never a dinner decision.

Several of the species above have deadly lookalikes, and a photo cannot check smell, spore colour, or what is under the ground. Mushrooms.id will show you the features that separate species so you know what to check next. It will never tell you something is safe to eat. Neither should any app.

A single pale mushroom on a thin stem against a dark forest at dusk

FAQ

Common questions

How do I identify a mushroom from a photo?

Take clear photos of the cap from above, the underside, and the full stem, including the base, which is often hidden in soil or leaves. Note what it grows on and which trees are nearby. A photo identifier compares those features with known species and shows the closest matches. Treat the result as a lead to check in a regional field guide or with a local mycological society.

Is this mushroom poisonous?

A photo alone often cannot settle that. Several deadly species, including the death cap and the destroying angel, look plain and pale, and some edible species have toxic twins. Mushrooms.id will show the closest matches and flag any that are toxic or deadly. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom and feels unwell, call poison control or emergency services right away.

What is the best mushroom identifier app?

Look for one that shows its working: several close matches, how sure it is, and the features that separate them. Be wary of any app that gives one answer with no lookalikes, or that calls a mushroom safe to eat. Mushrooms.id is being built that way. Until it opens, a regional field guide and a local mycological society are the most reliable sources.

Can a photo tell me if a mushroom is safe to eat?

No. A photo cannot capture smell, spore print colour, or a base hidden underground, and those details can separate an edible species from a deadly one. Experts confirm in person, often with a spore print and a microscope. Mushrooms.id will never label a mushroom safe to eat.

When does Mushrooms.id launch?

We are building it now and have not set a date. Join the waitlist and we will send one email when it opens. We will not use your address for anything else.

Waitlist

Hear when it opens

We will send one email when Mushrooms.id opens, and nothing else.