Autumn has arrived, and with the cooler weather comes the joy of finding fall mushrooms!
From colorful boletes, to intricate corals and bright chanterelles – fall never fails to impress with a variety of beautiful mushrooms.
Well, a couple of weeks ago while I was keeping an eye out for fun fall fungi, I was shocked and surprised to find these dark, gnarly looking mushrooms known as Elfin Saddles!
When I found these bad boys, I picked a couple to get some pictures for identification and to show to my brother.
As soon as I stepped into the sunshine, my brother pointed out the spores visibly falling from it!
In the sunlight, the spores looked like little bits of glitter coating the mushroom and floating all around.
It really made this otherwise odd looking fungus feel pretty majestic.
If you look closely at the images above, you can see some tiny white dots floating around the mushroom – these are the spores!
After finding these funky mushrooms I had to know more.
So, here I am, yet again, sharing with you what I’ve learned about mushrooms recently!
What Do Elfin Saddles Look Like?
- Elfin saddles range from white, to gray, brown, and black in color. Generally, the color will get darker as the mushroom ages.
- They have strong rubbery stems which are filled with intricate crevasses and ribs – perfect for small bugs to hide in.
- The caps are lumpy and fragile. The distorted shape of the cap is known to resemble a saddle – hence the nickname Elfin Saddle.
What Are Elfin Saddles?
The scientific name of these particular mushrooms is Helvella Vespertina, but there are nearly 200 different species of mushrooms in the genus Helvella!
The most common species Helvella lacunosa thrives almost exclusively in Europe. Nonetheless, we do have Helvella vespertina here in North America.
Elfin Saddles share a similar resemblance to the poisonous Gyromitra mushrooms, also commonly known as the false Morel.
One of the main differences in appearance between Helvella and Gyromitra is the mushrooms color – Gyromitra colors range from red, to orange and purple while Helvella remain shades of black, gray, and brown.
Where Do Elfin Saddles Grow?
These mushrooms grow from the ground in heavily wooded forests. Many varieties of Helvella thrive near coniferous trees like Douglas Fir and Pine trees.
However, there is a species known as “Oak Loving Elfin Saddles” which grow near (you guessed it) Oak trees!
In North America these mushrooms are mainly found around the Rocky Mountains and in some areas in California.
Are Elfin Saddles Edible?
There is some debate when it comes to considering the edibility of these mushrooms because they are not quite poisonous but they do contain toxins that must be thoroughly cooked out.
However, most reports from adventurers eating Elfin Saddles say that after being cooked extremely well to avoid gastric upset, the mushrooms have a rather undesirable texture and flavor.
In other words: the risk is probably not worth the reward.
With that information, I certainly won’t be sampling these particular mushrooms.
Finding new mushrooms is always such a fun opportunity. I’m grateful to have come across this unique species of mushroom to learn about this year!
Are there any mushrooms you’d love to learn more about? Let me know in the comments!
As always, thanks for reading and happy foraging!
-Jessica C.
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