🍄 Fungi Identification Guide

Charlotte’s Favourite Fungi

My personal favourite has to be the Scarlet Elf Cup — a flash of bright red in the winter woods when everything else feels muted. It always feels like a little woodland treasure waiting to be discovered.

🌟 Share Your Spotting

We’d love to feature our guests’ favourites too. If you capture a great fungi photo during your stay, let us know — your find might be showcased in a future update of this guide as a Guest Favourite.

Introduction

Fungi can be found in every season — from the bright Scarlet Elf Cup in the depths of winter through to puffballs and fly agaric in autumn. This guide begins in winter, when the woods are quiet but still full of hidden treasures, and follows the year through spring, summer, and autumn.

Each entry includes a description, size, habitat, spotting tips, folklore or fun facts, hazard/poison notes, and a rarity tag so you know how likely you are to see it.

This guide is updated from time to time as guests share their discoveries. Photos coming soon to help with visual identification.

❄️ Winter

Birch Polypore

• Description: Smooth, pale brown brackets; historically used as natural plasters.

• Size: 10–25 cm across.

• Where it grows: Exclusively on birch trees.

• Spotting tip: Look for pale shelves on birch trunks.

• Hazard: Inedible (tough/bitter).

• Rarity: Common

Candle Snuff Fungus

• Description: Upright black stems with white tips, like burnt candles.

• Size: 2–5 cm tall.

• Where it grows: Dead wood and stumps.

• Spotting tip: Best seen in shaded, damp woodland.

• Hazard: Inedible.

• Rarity: Very common

Jelly Ear

• Description: Brown, rubbery, ear‑shaped fungus.

• Size: 3–8 cm across.

• Where it grows: On elder trees and damp wood.

• Spotting tip: Often clustered on old elder trunks.

• Hazard: Edible when cooked (ensure correct ID).

• Rarity: Very common

King Alfred’s Cakes

• Description: Hard, black, ball‑like fungi.

• Size: 2–7 cm across.

• Where it grows: On ash and beech trees.

• Spotting tip: Look for black “charcoal lumps” on fallen branches.

• Hazard: Inedible (used as tinder).

• Rarity: Common

Scarlet Elf Cup

• Description: Bright red, cup‑shaped fungi on damp wood.

• Size: 2–5 cm across.

• Where it grows: Fallen branches in damp woodland.

• Spotting tip: Look for flashes of red on mossy logs.

• Hazard: Edible when cooked (not widely eaten).

• Rarity: Common

Turkey Tail

• Description: Fan‑shaped brackets with colourful concentric bands.

• Size: 2–8 cm across.

• Where it grows: Dead wood and fallen logs.

• Spotting tip: Look for rainbow‑like tiers on rotting stumps.

• Hazard: Inedible (tough, but used in traditional medicine).

• Rarity: Very common

🌸 Spring

Morels

• Description: Honeycomb‑like caps, highly prized but rare.

• Size: 5–15 cm tall.

• Where it grows: Grassland edges, woodland clearings.

• Spotting tip: Look for them after warm spring rain.

• Hazard: Edible but toxic when raw — must be cooked.

• Rarity: Rare

Jelly Ear – see Winter entry. Scarlet Elf Cup – see Winter entry.

☀️ Summer

Common Ink Cap

• Description: Delicate grey caps that dissolve into black “ink.”

• Size: Cap 2–5 cm wide.

• Where it grows: Lawns, verges, woodland edges.

• Spotting tip: Appears in clusters after rain.

• Hazard: Poisonous if eaten with alcohol.

• Rarity: Common

Parasol Mushroom

• Description: Large, umbrella‑like cap with snakeskin pattern.

• Size: Cap 10–30 cm wide.

• Where it grows: Grassland, meadows, woodland edges.

• Spotting tip: Striking, often standing alone in meadows.

• Hazard: Edible when correctly identified — beware toxic look‑alikes.

• Rarity: Occasional

Shaggy Ink Cap

• Description: Tall, white, shaggy cap that dissolves into black “ink.”

• Size: 10–20 cm tall.

• Where it grows: Grass verges, meadows, disturbed ground.

• Spotting tip: Appears in groups after rain.

• Hazard: Edible when young — must be eaten quickly.

• Rarity: Common

Waxcaps

• Description: Brightly coloured caps (red, yellow, green) in unimproved grassland.

• Size: 2–6 cm wide.

• Where it grows: Ancient, unimproved meadows.

• Spotting tip: Look for jewel‑like colours in short grass.

• Hazard: Mostly inedible — admired for beauty.

• Rarity: Occasional

🍂 Autumn

Amethyst Deceiver

• Description: Small violet mushroom that fades with age.

• Size: Cap 2–6 cm wide.

• Where it grows: Leaf litter in mixed woodland.

• Spotting tip: Look for purple caps among autumn leaves.

• Hazard: Edible when young — ID tricky as colour fades.

• Rarity: Common

Bracket Fungi – see Winter entry.

Earthballs

• Description: Tough, dark‑skinned balls, often cracked.

• Size: 3–10 cm across.

• Where it grows: Woodland floors, often in leaf litter.

• Spotting tip: Darker, rougher “puffball look‑alikes.”

• Hazard: Poisonous.

• Rarity: Common

Fly Agaric

• Description: Iconic red cap with white spots.

• Size: Cap 8–20 cm wide.

• Where it grows: Under birch and pine trees.

• Spotting tip: Often found near birch roots.

• Hazard: Poisonous.

• Rarity: Occasional

Honey Fungus

• Description: Golden‑brown clusters; parasitic on trees.

• Size: Caps 5–15 cm wide.

• Where it grows: At the base of trees and stumps.

• Spotting tip: Look for black “bootlace” strands under bark.

• Hazard: Edible when cooked — can cause stomach upset.

• Rarity: Common

Puffballs

• Description: Round, white or buff‑coloured fungi, releasing spores when tapped.

• Size: 3–10 cm across.

• Where it grows: Grassland, meadows, woodland clearings.

• Spotting tip: Look for clusters after rain.

• Hazard: Edible when young and white inside.

• Rarity: Very common

Stinkhorn

• Description: White “egg” stage, then tall stem with foul‑smelling cap.

• Size: 10–25 cm tall.

• Where it grows: Woodland and gardens, often hidden in leaf litter.

• Spotting tip: Smell will often lead you to it!

• Hazard: Inedible.

• Rarity: Occasional

🌱 Tips for Beginner Fungi Spotters

• Start with the easy ones: Look for distinctive fungi like Scarlet Elf Cup, Puffballs, or Fly Agaric — they’re easier to recognise than the trickier little brown mushrooms.

• Notice the habitat: Some fungi grow on dead wood (like Turkey Tail), others in grassland (like Waxcaps), and some at tree bases (like Honey Fungus). Where you find it is a big clue.

• Check the season: Use the seasonal sections in this guide — it narrows down what you’re likely to see.

• Look, don’t pick: Photograph fungi rather than collecting them. Many are toxic, and all play an important role in the woodland ecosystem.

• Compare colours and shapes: Brackets, cups, balls, and caps are all different growth forms — spotting the shape first helps with ID.

• Use a guide or app: If you’d like extra help, try iNaturalist or ObsIdentify — both can suggest likely matches from a photo.

📱 Fungi ID Apps

If you’d like extra help identifying fungi during your stay, there are some excellent free apps that use photo recognition and community input to suggest likely species.

• Picture Mushroom – Take a photo of a fungus and the app will suggest an ID, with notes on habitat and toxicity. You can also keep a personal log of your finds.

• ObsIdentify – Covers all wild plants, animals, and fungi. Works well in the UK and lets you upload photos for AI suggestions.

• iNaturalist – A global community app where you upload a photo and receive suggested IDs, often confirmed by other naturalists. Great for contributing to citizen science.

Pro Tips

• 📶 Offline use: Some apps (like Picture Mushroom premium) allow offline ID — useful in the Wye Valley where signal can be patchy.

• 📸 Take clear photos: Capture the cap, stem, and underside (gills/pores) for the best chance of an accurate ID.

• ⚠️ Always double‑check: Apps are a guide, not a guarantee. Never eat fungi based on an app ID alone.

⚠️ Safety & Foraging Etiquette

• Many fungi are toxic — never eat unless you are 100% certain of the identification.

• Even edible species can cause stomach upset in some people. Always try a very small amount first, and only if you are confident.

• Photograph rather than pick — fungi are vital for woodland health and provide food for wildlife.

• Leave plenty behind for others to enjoy and for the ecosystem to thrive.

• If you’d like to forage for food, join a local guided foray with an expert.

• Teach children to admire fungi but not to touch or taste them.

📩 Contribute to the Guide

Spotted something special on your walk? We’d love to see it. Share your photos or stories with us, and your find could be featured in a future update of this guide or on our website.

If you notice a fungi that isn’t yet featured here, please let us know — we’ll update the guide so future guests can enjoy it too. And if you come across a mushroom you can’t identify, send us your photos and we’ll do our best to help.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This guide is for identification and enjoyment, not for foraging. Many fungi are toxic or have poisonous look‑alikes. Please admire and photograph them, but never eat wild fungi unless you are with a qualified expert. Reddings Retreat cannot accept responsibility for any adverse effects from wild fungi consumption.

📚 Further Resources for Fungi Identification

If you’d like to learn more, these trusted guides and organisations are excellent starting points:

• Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms & Toadstools – Stefan Buczacki (comprehensive field guide).

• Grassland Fungi: A Field Guide – Elsa Wood & Jon Dunkelman (focused on waxcaps and meadow fungi, very relevant to the Wye Valley).

• British Mycological Society – britmycolsoc.org.uk (resources, events, and ID help).

• Woodland Trust Fungi Spotter’s Guide – free online resource with photos and tips.

• Basic Guide to Identifying Fungi – British Naturalists’ Association PDF (beginner‑friendly).

• NHBS Guide to Fungi Identification – overview of recommended field guides and books NHBS Blog

• Field Studies Council – Fungi Name Trail – lightweight, splash‑proof fold‑out guide for use outdoors FSC Shop