Hunting for the Elusive Morel Mushroom, Pt. II
April 18, 2008
Hunting for the Elusive Morel Mushroom
By John Garman
Spring is the season for hunting morels, and they appear only briefly, making the harvesting season very short. Of course, spring is relative depending on where you live. In the U.S., morel mushroom season begins first in California and the Pacific Northwest, then southern states, then concentrates roughly in the Midwest, stretching to a few eastern states. Morels sprout from January to early June, with April and May being the peak season. In Canada, morel season usually starts in May, and can extend to July, as the snows recede slowly in different regions. Further north, in the Northwest Territories and Alaska, morel season runs June 1st to July 30th, peaking at the end of June.
Generally speaking, the best time to begin looking for morels is when daytime highs in your area have been in the 60’s (15° to 21°C) , with nighttime lows no colder than the 40’s (5°C). Rain is important, too. Mushrooms like it warm and moist– but not soggy. Morels grow where soil is moist yet well-drained– not oversaturated. If you have a dry spring, the crop will be sparse. If you have ample rain– but not an unusually wet spring– the crop will be plentiful. Many mushroom hunters know to head out after receiving warmer rains. Morels need moisture, warm days and warm nights.
Seasoned mushroom hunters will swear by identifying particular types of trees as the key to locating morels. Morels seem to particularly love the American Elm, White Ash, Tulip Poplar and apple trees. The American Elm has been greatly eradicated due to Dutch Elm Disease, but the yellow morel motherlode can usually be found around Elms, particularly dead ones, and old, overgrown apple orchards.
There’s a reason mushroom hunters call it the “elusive morel.” Sometimes morel mushrooms don’t grow back in the same spot the next year. Morels are masters of camouflage, blending in with leaves, faded grass and twigs. The trick to seeing morels is to lie low, to scan the ground ahead of you to notice the distinctive morel shape. The oblique light of morning and late afternoon often highlights morels that stick above the leaf litter, making them easier to spot. Imprinting the image of the morel in your mind helps to see them more clearly. The best advice is simply to get out there and look until you find one. Once you’ve found one, you’ll find others. Then when it becomes easier for you to find this elusive treat, you’ll be hooked on morel mushroom hunting for life!
For more information on the morel mushroom: identification, hunting tips, season, how to and where to find them, recipes, morel discussion boards, free online videos and free pdf reports, check out our website dedicated to everything about morels,
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April 22nd, 2008 at 5:40 am
hi, i love hunting mushrooms but i have a question i have been told that after a elm tree is dead for a long time it will no longer produce mushrooms. why is that and can mushrooms come back in different seasons depending on the weather?
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Remember that morel mushrooms ‘fruit’ on the ground surface, their base is their mycelium just under the ground. Morels won’t fruit forever - they can be quite weather tempremental. Truffles take about 12 years or so for their mycelium to mature underground before they fruit above ground. For a more educated discussion of finding morels au naturale, try the folks here at MorelMushroom Info.
I’m not an expert hunting wild morels, I’m attempting to grow my own with some starter spore kits I purchased from a few spore kit suppliers.