Feature

Edible, Inedible, and Toxic

Identifying Common Mushrooms on the North Shore

By Breana Johnson

Photos by Ariel Bonkoski

I don’t know about you, but until recently, I was unaware that in the Grand Marais area alone, there are over a thousand kinds of different mushrooms and fungi, some edible, some toxic, and some inedible. When it comes to the entire world, approximately 10 percent of all mushrooms are edible, while roughly only 1-3 percent are toxic—the rest are inedible. The difference between toxic and inedible? Toxic mushrooms contain toxins that can cause serious harm or even death if ingested. Inedible mushrooms are not suitable for consumption due to reasons other than toxicity. While they might not be directly harmful, some can cause various issues such as indigestion or gastrointestinal discomfort. Others are inedible due to their unpleasant texture, taste, or lack of nutritional value. Here’s a small sample of common edible, inedible, and toxic mushrooms that can be found in the Northern Wilds, from August to October.

Note, some edible mushrooms have toxic or inedible lookalikes that can sometimes be difficult to distinguish. The best way to learn how to safely identify mushrooms and fungi is to get hands-on experience with an expert.

Inedible

Horse hoof mushroom, Fomes excavatus.

Dyer’s polypore, Phaeolus schwienitzii. Not edible, but can be used to make dyes.

Violet-toothed polypore, Trichaptum biforme.

Northern tooth, Climacodon septentrionalis.

Edible

Resinous polypore, Ischnoderma resinosum. Only the tender outer edge is edible when young. The center is very tough when young and the whole thing gets tough as it ages.

Golden chanterelles, Cantharellus enelensis. There are many species of golden chanterelles, but this is the most common species found along the North Shore.

Honey mushrooms, Armillaria gallica.

Lobster mushroom, Hypomyces lactifluorum.

Coral tooth, Hericium coralloides.

Stump puffballs, Apioperdon pyriforme. They are only edible when solid white inside.

Toxic

Deadly Galerina, Galerina marginata, aka funeral bells. This is a deadly mushroom.

Fly Agaric, Amanita muscaria var guessowii. This is toxic but not considered deadly.