Chanterelle Mushrooms

Scientific Name(s): Cantharellus cinnabarinus, Cantharellus texensis, Cantharellus lateritius, Cantharellus cibarius
Abundance: uncommon
What: above ground caps and stems
How: cooked
Where: woodlands, near oaks; some yards
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: minor
Dangers:

COLLECTING MUSHROOM REQUIRES 100% CERTAINTY. WWW.FORAGINGTEXAS.COM ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR IDENTIFICATION ERRORS BY ANY READERS.

Cantharellus cibarius.




Note how the gills run down into the stem.
















Cross-section showing the false gills. There is no demarcation between the cap and the "gill" structures, they are all one continuous unit.

Cantharellus cibarius Structural Features::

Growth Form: A highly prized, fragrant, edible mushroom, typically found on forest floors in summer and autumn. It has a symbiotic, mutualistic association with tree roots, often found near oak and beech trees.

Cap Shape and Size: Funnel-shaped with a diameter up to 4 inches, featuring a wavy, irregular margin, and varying from light yellow to deep egg-yolk yellow.

Gills or Pores: The gills are actually ridges that are forked and generally have blunt edges, wavy, and always decurrent.

Stipe Characteristics: The stem is central, fleshy, curved, smooth, and measures 2.4-3 inches long and 0.2-0.4 inches wide.

Odor: Has a somewhat apricot-like scent.

Spore Color: Pale yellow to creamy white, sometimes with a slight pinkish tinge.

Substrate and Habitat: Found in deciduous forest soils near oak, often under beech trees. Grows in many countries including Canada, the U.S., Europe, the Mediterranean, parts of eastern and southern Australia, and parts of Asia.

Other Characteristics: The chanterelle's flesh is thick and firm. 

Cantharellus lateritius false gills aren't as produced as those of other chanterelles.

Cantharellus lateritius Structural Features:

Growth Form: Mycorrhizal with oaks and sometimes hickories. Found growing alone, scattered, gregariously, densely gregariously, or in loose clusters during summer and fall. Widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains.

Cap Shape and Size: 1-3.15 inches across; planoconvex to flat when young, becoming shallowly vase-shaped with an incurved, wavy, and irregular margin. Color ranges from bright orange-yellow to egg-yolk yellow. ally more developed wrinkles near the margin. Colored like the cap but paler, often with a pinkish hue.

Stipe Characteristics: 1-2.5 inches long, 0.5-1.2 inches thick, tapering to the base. The stem is bald, colored like the cap or paler, and bruises slowly yellowish to orangish brown.

Bruising: Bruises slowly yellowish to orangish brown, occasionally blackening at the margin.

Gills or Pores: The undersurface runs down the stem; smooth or with shallow wrinkles, occasionally more developed wrinkles near the margin. Colored like the cap but paler, often with a pinkish hue.

Odor: The taste is not distinctive, but the odor is usually strong, fragrant, and sweet, reminiscent of apricots.

Spore Color: Pale pinkish yellow.

Substrate and Habitat: Found in deciduous forest soils near oak, often under beech trees.

Cantharellus texensis

Cantharellus texensis & Cantharellus cinnabarinus Structural Features: 

Growth Form:  Typically grows in the traditional "toadstool" shape, in a solitary or scattered pattern.

Cap Shape and Size: The cap is funnel-shaped, with a size ranging from 1 to 2.5 inches in diameter. It exhibits a bright orange to cinnabar-red color.

Gills or Pores: This mushroom features false gills that are shallow, well-spaced, and run down (decurrent) the stem. The gills are the same color as the cap.

Stipe Characteristics: The stipe (stem) is 1 to 2.5 inches long and 0.25 to 0.5 inches thick, with a color similar to the cap. It is smooth and solid.

Odor: They have a mild, fruity odor, not easily distinguishable.

Bruising: Bruising is not a significant characteristic for this species; there are no notable changes in color when bruised.

Spore Color: The spores are pale yellow to white in color.

Substrate and Habitat: Like most North Anerican Cantharellus, these are commonly found in hardwood forests, particularly under oaks, in the spring and fall.

Other Characteristics: Notable for its bright color, these mushrooms have a peppery taste.  

Walking through the Texas hard wood forests after several days of summer rain, a forager's eye will invariably spot gold and bright red mushrooms growing up from the forest floor, especially along ravines and washes. Most commonly, they will be near oak trees as these fungi treasures have developed a symbiotic relationship trading needed chemicals with the oak roots. They seem to like daytime temperatures between 80F and 100F. I personally use Mother's Day as the signal to start looking and September 1st as the end date.

There are several key physical traits you need to look for on chanterelles to properly identify these awesome, edible mushrooms. That they grow out of the ground in hardwood forests has already been stated. They do NOT grow on living or dead wood. All chanterelles have false gills, meaning their cap and gill structures are one continuous unit. They don't have gills but rather the underside of the cap is very wrinkled to the point of looking like gills. When cut in half it is easy to see there's no change in between the cap and the false gill material. These false gills will run down and merge into the stem, a term described as "decurrent". The stem lacks any ring or bulb at it's base. Several mushrooms may be joined together at the base of their stems. The caps are shaped like an upside down bowl when very young but soon invert into a funnel (convex) shape. Spore prints will be light gray/white in color.

Chanterelles sautéed in butter with a bit of garlic and a splash of homemade wine is very hard to beat. These mushrooms can be used in all the "normal" ways that mushrooms are cooked. The golden chanterelles has a mild, almost fruity flavor while the red cinnabarinus have a spicy, peppery flavor. They dry well for longterm storage and are usually rehydrated in hot water before use.

There are two poisonous mushrooms in my opinion that a novice might mistake for chanterelles. These poisonous mushrooms are Sulfur Tufts (Hypholoma fasciculare) and Jack O'Lanterns (Omphalotus illudens). Let's look at those, starting with the Sulfur Tuft mushroom.

Sulfur Tufts (POISONOUS!) going off buried pine root.




Unlike chanterelles, sulfur tufts grow on the dead wood of pines. Their caps will look similar to chanterelle but sulfur tufts have true gills and these gills may start yellowish but turn greenish then darken greatly as spore production gets heavy. The gills come to a sharp stop at the stem. Spore prints will be purple-brown.

Jack O'Lantern (POISONOUS!)


Like the sulfur tufts and again unlike chanterelles, Jack O'lanterns grow on dead/dying hardwood. They are dark orange in color, and have true gills which end at the stem. Jack o'lantern spore prints will be pale, creamy, or yellowish.

By Antonio Abbatiello [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Giant Reed

Scientific Name(s): Arundo donax
Abundance: plentiful
What: roots, leaves, young shoots
How: roots raw, cooked, ground into flour; leaves boiled; young shoots raw or cooked
Where: sunny wet ditches, moist areas
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: calories, minerals
Dangers: contains small amount of alkaloid gramine which is more toxic to dogs than to humans

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are elongated and lanceolate, with a length ranging from 12 to 24 inches and a width of 1 to 2 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is parallel, with prominent longitudinal veins running the length of the leaves.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are entire, providing a smooth edge.

Leaf Color: The leaves are typically green, and both the top and underside have similar coloring.

Flower Structure: The flowering structures are panicles, characterized by numerous small spikelets arranged on branches.

Flower Color: The flowers are often beige to light brown.

Fruit: The fruits are small and inconspicuous, developing within the spikelets.

Seed: Seeds are typically small and numerous, found within the spikelets.

Stem: The stems are robust, hollow, and cane-like, with a green to grayish color and a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 inches.

Hairs: The stems and leaves may lack noticeable hairs.

Height: Arundo donax is a tall grass, and its height can reach up to 20 feet or more, depending on growing conditions.

Stand of Giant Reeds. These are over seven feet tall.


Slightly closer view of Giant Reeds.


Giant reeds in later spring. The green ones are this-years growth.


Young giant reed shoot.


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.


North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Giant reeds look very similar to bamboo, especially towards the base. The reed is hollow like bamboo and structurally can be used in many of the same ways as bamboo though it does not have the full load-bearing strength of bamboo. Giant reeds are considered to be invasive plants and can quickly swallow any location where they get enough sun and moisture.

The roots (rhizomes) are the main edible portion of giant reeds. They contain some calories in the form of starch and even sugars, especially when still young and tender. As the roots age they become fibrous/woody. The young roots can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed, or baked. They can also be dried then ground into flour.

The leaves are edible though quite bitter. Their flavor can be mellowed by boiling. A change of water during boiling usually isn't necessary except with the most bitter of leaves.

The young shoots, when available, are used like bamboo shoots and/or asparagus.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Ginkgo

Scientific Name(s): Ginkgo biloba
Abundance: rare
What: leaves, nuts
How: leaves raw, tea; seed/nut roasted
Where: woods, landscaping
When: leaves in spring, summer, fall; nut in summer
Nutritional Value: leaves are medicinal, nuts have calories
Dangers: the fruit STINKS and contains assorted, somewhat dangerous chemicals. Do not let the raw fruit pulp come in contact with bare flesh, mouth, or eyes.

Medicinal Summary
Leaves - improves blood circulation; improves memory; may reduce dementia (eaten, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are unique, fan-shaped, and arranged alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Ginkgo leaves have a distinctive fan shape, typically measuring 2 to 3 inches in length. Often displaying a cleft in the middle.

Leaf Margin: Leaves have a lobed or bilobed margin.

Leaf Color: Foliage is bright green in the summer, turning golden yellow in the fall.

Flower Structure: Ginkgo trees are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees. Male flowers are small, catkin-like structures.

Flower Color: Flowers are small (1/8") cones growing on 1"-2" spikes, being either green or yellow.

Fruit (Seed): The fruit is a large, fleshy seed surrounded by a foul-smelling outer layer. The seed is about 1 inch in diameter. They onlt form on female trees and ripen in the fall.

Bark: Bark is typically light gray and smooth on young trees, becoming rougher and more deeply furrowed with age.

Height: Ginkgo trees can grow to be 50 to 80 feet tall.

Hairs: Leaves and stems are generally smooth, without noticeable hairs.

Branching Pattern: Ginkgo trees have an open, spreading growth form with distinct branches.

Ginkgo leaves.


Close-up of Ginkgo leaf.


Ginkgo trunk.


Young Ginkgo tree.


Unripe Ginkgo fruit (female trees, only).


Close-up of Ginkgo fruit. When yellow/orange, soft, wrinkly, and falling from the tree it's ripe.


Ginkgo fruit (ripening in the fall).

By Famartin (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Ginko nuts after removing outer fruit (female trees only).


Ginko trees, native to Asia, are now common landscaping plants. Due to the mess and smell of the ripe nut outer coating, usually only male forms of the tree are used. Ginkgo are ancient trees dating back 270 million years and is considered a "living fossil" and a single tree can live 1,000 years. Individual ginkgo trees are either male or female, with only the female producing fruit. The fruit ripens in the summer as approximately grape-sized yellow fruit. This fruit pulp smells really bad, something like a cross between dog poop and vomit. This pulp is discard because the real treasure is the large seed it contains. Wear rubber gloves when digging the seed out of the ginkgo fruit or else your hands will stink for days. Scrub any pulp off the seeds with plenty of running water. The seeds/nuts are then roasted as the unroasted seeds are still somewhat toxic.

Ginkgo leaves have a long history of being used to treat issues with blood circulation, memory, and dementia. The easiest way to use them is to chew a leaf into a pulp and then suck on this pulp for 10-20 minutes. Tea can also be made from the leaves.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Glasswort

Scientific Name(s): Salicornia bigelovii
Abundance: rare
What: whole plant; oil extracted from seeds
How: raw
Where: coastal beaches
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: salt, assorted vitamins, calories from seed oil
Dangers: raw seeds contain toxic saponins and should not be eaten whole.

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are reduced to small scales and appear to be absent, with the stem appearing jointed.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are scale-like, closely appressed to the stem, and not distinct from the stem segments, resulting in a tubular appearance.

Leaf Venation: There is no distinct venation due to the reduced size and form of the leaves.

Leaf Margin: Margins are not discernible in the scale-like leaves.

Leaf Color: The color of the stem and scale-like leaves ranges from green to reddish-green, depending on environmental conditions.

Flower Structure: Flowers are tiny, often going unnoticed, and embedded in the stem at the joints. They are arranged in groups of three in each segment.

Flower Color: The flowers are inconspicuous, blending with the color of the stem.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, one-seeded capsule.

Seed: The seed is small, enclosed within the capsule.

Stem: The stem is succulent, jointed, and appears segmented, giving an elongted bead-like appearance.

Hairs: There are no hairs on the stem or scale-like leaves.

Height: The plant typically grows to a height of about 4 to 12 inches, often sprawling or forming dense mats.

Glasswort along the beach.






Closer view.


Another view. As Glasswort ages it turns reddish in color.


Old, dried-up glasswort looks like small stalagmites.


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.


North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Looking like some alien lifeform, Glasswort adds an interesting appearance to coastal beaches. Some say it's name comes from the sound it makes when stepped upon as it cracks like breaking glass. However, the burned ashes of Glasswort were used as a flux in glassmaking, lowering the temperature needed to melt sand into glass so I think that's where the name came from. Glasswort has the amazing ability to grow even when watered with salty sea water.

The young, tender tips of Glasswort are eaten raw in salads or even just as a snack on the beach. As the plant matures these stems turn reddish and woody. Boiling the pinkish woody stems may give you a bit of tender, edible outer sheath with a more inedible woody core.

The seeds contain a coating of toxic saponins and can not be eaten raw or cooked. However, the oil pressed from these seeds is quite edible, tasty, and useful as a cooking oil.

The ashes left after burning Glasswort are high in mineral content including salt and are used to flavor foods.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Goldenrod

Scientific Name(s): Solidago spp.
Abundance: plentiful
What: young leaves, flowers
How: tea and small addition to salads, sautéed
Where: fields, borders
When: late summer, early fall
Nutritional Value: low

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Flowers - vascular strengthener; anti-inflammatory; diuretic; anti-spasmodic; antibacterial; antifungal; hemostatic, rebuilds vascular/fluid-holding tissues (tisane, tincture, poultice)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Leaf shape varies among species, but they are generally lanceolate or elliptical, and can range from 1 to 6 inches in length and 0.2 to 0.6 inches in width.

Leaf Venation: Venation is pinnate, with a central vein and smaller veins branching off.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins can be smooth, toothed, or serrated, depending on the species.

Leaf Color: The color of the leaves is typically a bright green, sometimes with a paler underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in dense, pyramidal or plume-like clusters at the tops of the stems or along the sides.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually bright yellow, with each small flower consisting of both ray and disk florets.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry seed, often with a tuft of hair to aid in wind dispersal.

Seed: The seeds are very small, enclosed within the dry fruit.

Stem: The stem is erect and can be smooth or hairy, varying by species. Normally it will grow as a single stalk, but pruning it will cause branching to occur.

Hairs: Stems will generally be hair-free while leaves may have fine, still hairs causing a rough texture.

Height: The height of goldenrod plants can vary greatly, typically ranging from 2 to 5 feet.

Goldenrod in the fall.


Close-up of goldenrod flowers.


Goldenrod flowers are usually bees last source of nectar before winter hits.


Goldenrod seedlings appear in mid-winter to early spring.


The easiest way to recognize them when young is finding them where last year's brown, dry goldenrod stems stand, such as in this photo.


Young goldenrod plant (with more in the background) in late spring. These the young leaves make a tasty tea.


Close-up of goldenrod leaves. Note also, the stem is relatively smooth and hairless.




To properly harvest goldenrod leaves snip just the last 3"-4" where the leaves are lighter green.


By mid-summer many goldenrods have developed these round "galls" in their stems. Each gall is the home of a single, small grub of the Goldenrod Gall Fly. Note, these grubs are edible and also make good fishing bait.


Flowers before they bloom.


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.


North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Goldenrod can be found lining the roads and standing in fields in every US state and Canadian province. Most of the year they go unnoticed, their green stem and leaves acting like camouflage against the background of green grasses. Come fall, they explode like golden fireworks of deep yellow, pyramidal-clustered flowers. At this time they often get blamed wrongly for hay fever and allergy problems when in reality Ragweed, with it's almost invisible flowers, that is actually to blame.

The youngest, most tender leaves, when used in moderation, add an interesting dimension to the flavor of salads. There is often a noticeable color difference between the top 1"-3" of the stem (lighter) and lower parts (darker). Cut the goldenrod off at the point where the light color turns darker. These top leaves are the best for both raw snacks and dried tea.

The leaves can be collected and dried for tea any time from seedling until the flowers bloom. Once the flowers bloom the leaves begin deteriorating and usually are no longer worth collecting. For a black licorice-flavored tea, cut the young leaves or flower stalks off the plant in late morning after dew has evaporated but before the hot sun bakes them. Gather the flowers within the first few days of them opening for the richest flavors. Hang the flower stalks upside-down to dry inside a brown paper bag to dry. Steep one teaspoon of the dried flowers in hot water to make an anise-flavored tea.

Please note though that Goldenrod is the last flower of the season for bees to collect nectar. If you take many of the flowers you may prevent a bee hive from getting enough nectar to get through the winter. This is why I only take leaves.

Many goldenrods will form round galls on their stems. These are caused by a fly grub which is also edible by humans though most prefer to use the grub as fishing bait.

While dried goldenrod leaves can be smoked as an herbal tobacco replacement, it is generally used medicinally in tea form. A goldenrod infusion is diuretic and so good for flushing out urinary tract infections and kidney stones but I prefer its antioxidant properties and assistance in circulation by strengthening capillary walls. Goldenrod also assists with respiratory and sinus issues as well as loosening phlegm. Don't forget to infuse some oil with goldenrod then thicken it with beeswax as a skin salve. It can help induce sweating to expel toxins via the skin and its slight astringency makes its tea a good body wash for cleaning and tightening skin.

Once the goldenrod flower clusters are more than 1/3 brown they're too old to use. By now, most will have reached that point unfortunately. You'll most likely have to wait until next fall. However, this gives you the ability to increase the goldenrod flower production by pruning the last 4" off

goldenrod stalks next June. The plant will send up 3-5 new shoots from the cut location, each producing its own big cluster of flowers. Then in the fall both you and the bees will have all the flowers you need.

Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.