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Mushrooms: Mushroom misidentification can be fatal. Cook all wild mushrooms and try a small amount first.
Mushrooms

Jack-o'-lantern mushroom

Omphalotus illudens

Toxic orange mushroom that causes severe stomach illness. Commonly mistaken for chanterelles and sometimes other orange or oyster-like mushrooms.

Jack-o'-lantern mushroom: Whole plant
Whole plantPhoto: Zachary Wimberly · CC0 · source
Jack-o'-lantern mushroom: Cross-section. Cut lengthwise: orange flesh and sharp gills
Cross-sectionCut lengthwise: orange flesh and sharp gillsPhoto: Jeff · CC BY · source
Jack-o'-lantern mushroom: Habitat
HabitatPhoto: Jon Mitchell · CC0 · source
Jack-o'-lantern mushroom: Whole plant
Whole plantPhoto: eb50 · CC0 · source

Key features

  • Orange, funnel-shaped caps with true, sharp, blade-like gills running down the stem
  • Caps in tight clusters that fuse at the base on wood or buried roots
  • Flesh orange throughout when cut
  • Fresh gills may glow faintly green in total darkness

What it gets mistaken for

  • ChanterellesHarmless

    Blunt forked ridges (not gills), white flesh inside, grows from soil singly or scattered.

    See the card →

Warnings

  • If eaten, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911.

In season

July, August, September, October

Late summer and fall.

Habitat

Dead hardwood stumps and buried roots, often in dense clusters.

Field traits

Grows on
dead hardwood
Underside
true gills
Spore print
white to cream
Backpack Guide: Deadly Wild Mushrooms — Know These On Sight →

Educational reference only. Never eat a wild plant or mushroom based on a website or app. Confirm with an experienced forager, your local extension office, or a mycological club. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 for severe symptoms.