Chicken of the woods vs jack-o'-lantern
- Toxic: Jack-o'-Lantern
Look under the orange: chicken of the woods has yellow pores and no stems. A jack-o'-lantern has sharp orange gills on separate stems.
Honey mushroom vs jack-o'-lantern: how to tell them apart
Quick answer
Honey mushrooms have a ring near the top of the stem, white to cream gills and white flesh; the jack-o'-lantern has no ring, sharp orange gills running down the stem and orange flesh right through the stem. Both grow in clusters at the base of hardwoods.
Toxic lookalike
The jack-o'-lantern is toxic.
Unlike the honey mushroom, the jack-o'-lantern (Omphalotus illudens) is poisonous. The Bay Area Mycological Society names illudins M and S as the main toxins in Omphalotus and describes a rapid onset of serious gastrointestinal symptoms, sometimes lasting several days. Tom Volk records severe cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, and the Missouri Department of Conservation notes that it is not life-threatening to healthy adults.
If someone has eaten a wild mushroom and feels unwell, or may have eaten one of these, call poison control now: 1-800-222-1222 in the US. Do not wait for symptoms.
Side by side
The tell for each
Edible when well cooked
The tellDense clusters of honey-colored caps on wood, with a ring on the stem and a white spore print.
Toxic lookalike
The tellBright orange clusters on wood with sharp true gills and orange flesh.
How they differ
| Feature | Honey Mushroom | Jack-o'-Lantern |
|---|---|---|
| Ring | Honey MushroomWhite ring near the top of the stem. | Jack-o'-LanternNone. |
| Gills | Honey MushroomWhite to cream, attached or slightly running down the stem. | Jack-o'-LanternOrange, sharp and crowded, running well down the stem. |
| Flesh | Honey MushroomWhite, tough in the stem. | Jack-o'-LanternOrange to pale orange throughout, including the stem. |
| Cap | Honey MushroomHoney-yellow to yellow-brown, sticky when wet, with dark hairs at the center. | Jack-o'-LanternBright orange to yellow-orange and smooth, often with a small central knob. |
| Spore print | Honey MushroomWhite. | Jack-o'-LanternCream to pale yellowish. |
| Season | Honey MushroomLate summer through fall. | Jack-o'-LanternSummer to fall, usually July through October. |
FAQ
Common questions
Do honey mushrooms have a ring?
Most do. The ringless honey mushroom never has one, so a missing ring alone does not mean a jack-o'-lantern. Orange gills and orange flesh do.
Is the jack-o'-lantern poisonous?
Yes. It causes severe cramps, vomiting and diarrhea that can last a few days. The Missouri Department of Conservation notes it is not life-threatening to healthy adults.
What else looks like a honey mushroom?
The deadly galerina, which is smaller with a rusty brown spore print, and the big laughing gym, which is orange and bitter with orange-brown spores.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Armillaria mellea
MushroomExpert.com
- Omphalotus illudens
MushroomExpert.com
- Honey Mushroom
Missouri Department of Conservation
- Toxic Mushrooms
Bay Area Mycological Society
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the honey mushroom
- More on the jack-o'-lantern
- Not sure it is either? Narrow it down with the identification key
This page states what field guides record. It is not advice to eat, taste or handle anything, and a photo cannot settle edibility. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom that may be toxic, call poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) right away, before symptoms start: the deadliest species act hours later.
More comparisons
Deadly galerina vs honey mushroom
- Deadly Galerina
Spore prints differ: honey mushrooms print white, the deadly galerina prints rusty brown. Galerina is also smaller, with a smooth brown cap.
Cinnabar chanterelle vs jack-o'-lantern
- Toxic: Jack-o'-Lantern
The cinnabar chanterelle is small, red and grows alone on soil with forked false gills. Jack-o'-lanterns are large, orange and clustered on wood.
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