Contact MushroomExpert.Com

Physicians, Medical Emergencies: please click here.

by Michael Kuo

I love receiving your messages and photos, and I will certainly try to help you identify mushrooms, or answer your mushroom questions (if I can). Because of the high volume of e-mails I receive, however, I can't promise a prompt response; it may take several weeks (or more) before you hear from me. But I will try to respond! You can find my e-mail address below the "Frequently Asked Questions."

Frequently Asked Questions

Over the years I've noticed that many of the e-mails I receive--though certainly not all of them--are clustered around these topics. While I don't want to discourage you from contacting me (with one exception: the "How Do I Kill These Mushrooms?" topic), it might save you some time to look for your question.

"There's a little yellow mushroom growing in my flower pot . . ."

It's probably Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, the "Flower Pot Parasol." You can see flower pot photos sent in by readers by following the link.

"There's a stinky mushroom that looks like a morel growing in my yard/garden . . ."

It's probably not a morel, unless it's springtime. In fact, it's probably a "stinkhorn," Phallus impudicus--or a closely related species. These are funky mushrooms; follow the link for details. By the way: stinkhorns won't hurt you, your pets, your children, or your garden.

"What's this mushroom?"

I would love to help you try to identify a mushroom you've found, though I can't guarantee I'll be able to figure it out. A photo or scan will make things easier; see Scanning Mushrooms for help. But even without an illustration, I can give it my best shot. The more complete your description of the mushroom is, the better the chances I will be able to figure it out. See Describing Mushrooms for help--though there is a lot to swallow on this page, and it may not be necessary to go through such a tedious process. However, "It's three inches wide and orange" won't be enough!

"How do I kill these mushrooms?"

Now, honestly. Would you go to Eagles.Com and ask for information on how to shoot eagles? Unless the mushrooms are growing in your living quarters, I will either ignore your e-mail or refer you to this page, which answers your question.

"Is there a mushroom club in my area?"

See North American Mycological Societies, at MykoWeb, and Affiliated Clubs at the North American Mycological Association.

"I want to contribute to MushroomExpert.Com."

Great! I would love to take a look at your photos or text, to see whether they are right for the site.

"Where do you find your morels?"

In the ground. Are you nuts?

"What field guide do you recommend?"

If you can only afford one field guide, it should be David Arora's Mushrooms Demystified. There are many other great guides, however. See this page for a list of some of them.