The ID Lab is a community space where fellow MHMA members will do their best to help identify mushrooms from your photos. We love the curiosity and we love to help!
Please understand the following:
The identifications offered here are provided by enthusiastic fellow members — not professional mycologists or certified experts. All input is offered in good faith as general guidance only and should never be taken as a definitive or professional verification of any species.
Edibility is your responsibility alone. No identification made in this group — no matter how confident it may seem — should be used as the sole basis for determining whether a mushroom is safe to eat. Many toxic species closely resemble edible ones, and even experts can be fooled.
Always cross-reference any identification with a reputable field guide or official identification resource. When in doubt, throw it out.
Stay curious, stay safe, and happy foraging! — The MHMA Team
How to submit proper photos for identification
Include quality photos that include all these:
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The mushroom where it grows.
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The top of the cap.
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The stem in full.
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Underside of cap (fertile surface)
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Cross section, cut in half from top to bottom
In you post, include this info:
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Area found (general location)
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Nearby tree types (oak, ash, etc)
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What is it growing from (ground, log, etc)
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How does it smell
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Does it bruise or change color when cut or nicked
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Bit, taste, spit. Do not swallow! Is it bitter, mild, spicey, etc).
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If necessary, take spore print
You can use this diagram to help you describe what you the features you see on a mushroom and where you see them.