A single mistake in the increasingly popular world of wild mushroom foraging can turn an outdoor adventure into a medical emergency.
The ancient practice of gathering edible fungi is seeing a powerful revival, driven by social media trends, the wellness movement, adventurous home cooks and a wider push to reconnect with nature — even in urban areas such as New York City.
Yet experts warn that the renewed enthusiasm comes with serious dangers, as misidentified mushrooms are being linked to a growing number of illnesses and deaths in several states.
In Northeast Ohio, 13 people have become sick over the past two weeks after eating poisonous wild mushrooms, including one patient who required a liver transplant.
The threat has also emerged in Montana, where 11 people were hospitalized last month after foraging near Yellowstone National Park. Several were reported to be in serious condition.
California has faced an especially alarming situation, with health officials describing an “unprecedented” surge in wild mushroom poisonings. At least 49 people, including a toddler, were sickened between November and May.
Those cases have led to multiple hospitalizations, organ failure, emergency liver transplants and the deaths of four adults.
And that is only the toll from the past nine months. Accidental poisonings tied to wild mushroom foraging have been climbing in recent years, as the pastime has gained momentum since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The activity involves searching for and gathering fungi in the wild, with foragers descending on forests, parks and green spaces in search of edible varieties.
But some poisonous species look remarkably similar to their safe-to-eat counterparts.
“This isn’t a skill you should be learning from TikTok.”
Dr. Christopher Bazzoli,wilderness medicine specialist
Orange chanterelles, for example, can be mistaken for toxic Jack O’Lantern mushrooms, which can cause severe gastrointestinal problems.
Meadow mushrooms can likewise be confused with destroying angels, a deadly lookalike that can damage vital organs including the liver and kidneys.
Then there’s the death cap, which is responsible for about 90% of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide. Foragers can mistake the highly toxic fungus for edible paddy straw mushrooms, puffballs or common field mushrooms.
Experts warn that confidently telling the difference between edible and toxic varieties takes time, practice and real-world experience.
But as foraging has surged among amateurs, so has reliance on technology. Beginners are increasingly turning to social media, smartphone apps, chatbots and AI to help identify their finds — sometimes with dangerous consequences.
In 2022, an Ohio man required emergency treatment after eating deadly Amanita mushrooms found in his backyard that an identification app had mistakenly labeled as edible.
“I will never eat [a wild mushroom] again,” he told CNN. “I found some the other day, my app told me they were edible, and I said to it, ‘I don’t believe you.’”
The New York Mycological Society has also warned that Amazon and other retailers are selling mushroom foraging and identification books generated with AI.
“Please only buy books of known authors and foragers, it can literally mean life or death,” the group wrote on X in 2024.
But that doesn’t mean you have to hang up your foraging basket for good.
Experts at the Cleveland Clinic recommend that beginners take classes with experienced guides, join a local mycology club, attend guided plant walks or sign up for a botany or wilderness survival course.
“This isn’t a skill you should be learning from TikTok,” said Dr. Christopher Bazzoli, a wilderness medicine specialist. “Look to get some expert, hands-on training so you can feel confident you know what you’re looking at when you forage.”
That’s because the wrong mushroom can fool even your senses. Some toxic varieties look, smell and even taste perfectly normal — and symptoms may not appear until long after you’ve eaten them.
Early symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, dizziness, confusion, weakness, a racing or irregular heartbeat and trouble breathing.
In the worst cases, poisoning can trigger seizures, paralysis, organ failure and death.
If you start feeling sick after eating a wild mushroom or plant, don’t wait it out to see if your symptoms improve. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
And if you can, save a sample of what you ate or snap a photo for identification. There’s no one-size-fits-all antidote for mushroom poisoning, so knowing exactly what you swallowed can help doctors determine how to treat you.
