Know what you pick.

Five species worth learning first — each with a clean identification and a clear safety note.

Pleurotus ostreatus, the beginner's jackpot — shelf-like caps on dead hardwood.

Golden, trumpet-shaped, faintly apricot. The crown jewel of the hunt.

Honeycombed and hollow, the first sign of spring in the woods.

The king bolete. A thick stem, a brown cap, and a smell of warm bread.

A white waterfall of teeth, sweet as crab, unmistakable.

Four seasons, four finds

The woods change the menu.

spring

The first sign the ground has woken. Honeycombed and hollow.

Mar–May

summer

Golden trumpets under oak, smelling faintly of apricot.

Jun–Aug

autumn

The king, thick-stemmed and rich, after the first cool nights.

Sep–Nov

winter

The cold-weather gift, shelving out of dead hardwood.

Dec–Feb