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Mushrooms in Santa Barbara County, California
Updated October 2026 · from open GBIF records
1,687mushroom records
313species recorded
Janbusiest month
1,687 records since 1889 (1,012 in the last 10 years)
Fruiting now
Based on past sightings (mostly since 2011; all years where recent records are few), not a forecast. Weather and place matter a lot, and a listing here says nothing about whether a mushroom is safe.
Usually recorded in January here:
Oak-Loving Bolete Xerocomellus dryophilus18 January records since 2011
Wood Blewit Lepista nuda17 January records since 2011
California Jack O' Lantern Omphalotus olivascens17 January records since 2011
Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea16 January records since 2011
Golden Milk Cap Lactarius alnicola13 January records since 2011
Blue-Girdled Webcap Cortinarius collinitus11 January records since 2011
Pleated Marasmius Marasmius plicatulus10 January records since 2011
Blusher Amanita rubescens9 January records since 2011
Barometer Earthstar Astraeus hygrometricus8 January records since 2011
Wood Mushroom Agaricus sylvicola8 January records since 2011- Psathyrella uliginicola7 January records since 2011
California Golden Chanterelle Cantharellus californicus7 January records since 2011
Usually recorded in February here:
- California Jack O' Lantern Omphalotus olivascens9 February records since 2011
- Wood Blewit Lepista nuda8 February records since 2011
Blushing Bride Amanita novinupta7 February records since 2011
Rufous Candy Cap Lactarius rufulus6 February records since 2011
Western American Destroying Angel Amanita ocreata6 February records since 2011
Western Amethyst Laccaria Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis5 February records since 2011
Common Collybia Gymnopus dryophilus4 February records since 2011
Common Fieldcap Agrocybe pediades4 February records since 2011- Psathyrella uliginicola4 February records since 2011
- California Golden Chanterelle Cantharellus californicus4 February records since 2011
Pavement Mushroom Agaricus bitorquis4 February records since 2011
Common Porecrust, Split Gill Fungus Schizophyllum commune4 February records since 2011
Usually recorded in March here:
Bittersweet Orange Ringless Amanita Amanita velosa9 March records since 2011- Western American Destroying Angel Amanita ocreata9 March records since 2011
Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum6 March records since 2011- Rufous Candy Cap Lactarius rufulus6 March records since 2011
- Blushing Bride Amanita novinupta6 March records since 2011
Red Cage Clathrus ruber5 March records since 2011
Amanita lanei4 March records since 2011- California Golden Chanterelle Cantharellus californicus4 March records since 2011
- Common Collybia Gymnopus dryophilus4 March records since 2011
Felt-Ringed Agaricus Agaricus hondensis3 March records since 2011- Oak-Loving Bolete Xerocomellus dryophilus3 March records since 2011
Jewelled Amanita Amanita gemmata3 March records since 2011
Usually recorded in April here:
- Red Cage Clathrus ruber6 April records since 2011
- Western American Destroying Angel Amanita ocreata5 April records since 2011
- Wood Blewit Lepista nuda5 April records since 2011
- Bittersweet Orange Ringless Amanita Amanita velosa3 April records since 2011
Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare3 April records since 2011- Amanita lanei3 April records since 2011
- Oak-Loving Bolete Xerocomellus dryophilus3 April records since 2011
Western American False Panther Amanita pantherinoides2 April records since 2011- Blushing Bride Amanita novinupta2 April records since 2011
- California Golden Chanterelle Cantharellus californicus2 April records since 2011
Spring Fieldcap Agrocybe praecox2 April records since 2011
Mulch Maids Leratiomyces percevalii2 April records since 2011
Usually recorded in May here:
- Red Cage Clathrus ruber5 May records since 2011
- Spring Fieldcap Agrocybe praecox4 May records since 2011
Scurfy Twiglet Tubaria furfuracea3 May records since 2011- Blusher Amanita rubescens3 May records since 2011
- Bittersweet Orange Ringless Amanita Amanita velosa3 May records since 2011
- Blushing Bride Amanita novinupta2 May records since 2011
- California Golden Chanterelle Cantharellus californicus2 May records since 2011
Turkeytail Trametes versicolor2 May records since 2011
Usually recorded in June here:
- Red Cage Clathrus ruber4 June records since 2011
Usually recorded in July here:
- Red Cage Clathrus ruber5 July records across all years
False Parasol Chlorophyllum molybdites3 July records across all years
Plantpot Dapperling Leucocoprinus birnbaumii2 July records across all years
Usually recorded in August here:
- Plantpot Dapperling Leucocoprinus birnbaumii4 August records across all years
Pisolithus tinctorius2 August records across all years- Lepiota glatfelteri2 August records across all years
- Leucocoprinus straminellus2 August records across all years
- False Parasol Chlorophyllum molybdites2 August records across all years
Usually recorded in September here:
Western Chicken-Of-The-Woods Laetiporus gilbertsonii8 September records since 2011- Pisolithus tinctorius2 September records since 2011
- False Parasol Chlorophyllum molybdites2 September records since 2011
Usually recorded in October here:
- Western Chicken-Of-The-Woods Laetiporus gilbertsonii8 October records since 2011
- Barometer Earthstar Astraeus hygrometricus2 October records since 2011
Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus2 October records since 2011
Usually recorded in November here:
- Western Chicken-Of-The-Woods Laetiporus gilbertsonii5 November records since 2011
- Red Cage Clathrus ruber3 November records since 2011
- Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea2 November records since 2011
- Golden Milk Cap Lactarius alnicola2 November records since 2011
Yellow Fieldcap Bolbitius titubans2 November records since 2011- California Jack O' Lantern Omphalotus olivascens2 November records since 2011
Usually recorded in December here:
- Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea12 December records since 2011
- Common Collybia Gymnopus dryophilus11 December records since 2011
- Typhula juncea11 December records since 2011
- Oak-Loving Bolete Xerocomellus dryophilus10 December records since 2011
Horse-Hair Fungus Gymnopus androsaceus8 December records since 2011- California Jack O' Lantern Omphalotus olivascens8 December records since 2011
Death Cap Amanita phalloides7 December records since 2011
Alice Eastwood's Bolete Rubroboletus eastwoodiae6 December records since 2011- Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare6 December records since 2011
- California Golden Chanterelle Cantharellus californicus6 December records since 2011
Blackish Puffball Lycoperdon nigrescens6 December records since 2011- Wood Blewit Lepista nuda5 December records since 2011
⚠ Never eat a wild mushroom based on this site. We show where fungi have been recorded, nothing more. We never say any mushroom is edible or safe, and you shouldn't decide that from any website, app or photo. Many deadly mushrooms look like harmless ones. If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away.
Most-recorded species
| # | Species | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46 | |
| 2 | 46 | |
| 3 | 41 | |
| 4 | 41 | |
| 5 | 35 | |
| 6 | 34 | |
| 7 | 27 | |
| 8 | 25 | |
| 9 | 25 | |
| 10 | 25 | |
| 11 | 23 | |
| 12 | 23 | |
| 13 | 22 | |
| 14 | 21 | |
| 15 | 18 |
Being on this list doesn't mean a mushroom is common, easy to identify or safe. It only means it has been recorded here often.
Best months to look
Records by month, all years. Busiest: Jan, Dec, Feb.
Sightings map
● Each dot is a place with at least one record (rounded to about 1 km). Locations can be approximate, and many are on private land. Numbered blue circles are recent sightings, shown only to a general area of about 10 km.
Recent sightings
The 10 most recent dated records in this county, newest first. Data as of October 26, 2026. Records can take weeks or more to reach GBIF, so the newest finds may not show yet. Places are given only as a public park or forest (from the USGS Protected Areas Database) or the nearest town, and the numbered circles on the map cover a general area, not an exact spot.
- 1Sep 19, 2026Western Chicken-Of-The-Woods Laetiporus gilbertsoniinear Santa Barbara, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 2Jul 9, 2026Red Cage Clathrus rubernear Mission Canyon, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 3Jun 29, 2026Red Cage Clathrus rubernear Santa Barbara, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 4Jun 19, 2026Red Cage Clathrus rubernear Mission Canyon, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 5May 20, 2026Red Cage Clathrus rubernear Santa Barbara, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 6Apr 18, 2026Red Cage Clathrus rubernear Eastern Goleta Valley, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 7Mar 30, 2026Common Fieldcap Agrocybe pediadesnear Eastern Goleta Valley, CA · field observation · original record
- 8Mar 28, 2026Red Cage Clathrus rubernear Mission Canyon, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 9Mar 25, 2026Red Cage Clathrus rubernear Mission Canyon, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 10
Mar 4, 2026Purple Fuzz Punctularia atropurpurascensnear Santa Barbara, CA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
Many sightings are on private land. Always get the landowner's permission, and follow the rules of parks and forests, which often limit or ban collecting.
Bring along
🍄
Regional mushroom field guideSee on Amazon🍄
Folding mushroom knife with brushSee on Amazon🍄
Wicker foraging basketSee on Amazon🍄
10x hand lens / loupeSee on Amazon🍄
Spore print paperSee on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
How we built this page
1,687 records of mushrooms, shelf fungi and polypores (class Agaricomycetes) that fall inside this county's Census boundary. Licenses: 387 CC0 and 1,300 CC BY 4.0. See about the data for the full citation.