Mushrooms in Polk County, Iowa
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.
Too few past records in January here to list species.
Usually recorded in February here:
Turkeytail Trametes versicolor3 February records since 2011
Lumpy Bracket Trametes gibbosa2 February records since 2011
Too few past records in March here to list species.
Usually recorded in April here:
Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamosus6 April records since 2011
Mock Oyster Mushroom Phyllotopsis nidulans3 April records since 2011
Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus2 April records since 2011
Usually recorded in May here:
- Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus7 May records across all years
Smoky Bracket Bjerkandera adusta4 May records across all years
Glistening Ink-Cap Coprinellus micaceus2 May records across all years
Usually recorded in June here:
- Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus8 June records since 2011
Protohydnum album5 June records since 2011
Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus3 June records since 2011
Leathery-Veiled Bolete Paragyrodon sphaerosporus2 June records since 2011
Collared Parachute Marasmius rotula2 June records since 2011
Crown-Tipped Coral Artomyces pyxidatus2 June records since 2011
Coprinellus radians2 June records since 2011
Usually recorded in July here:
White Coral Jelly Fungus Sebacina sparassoidea2 July records since 2011- Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus2 July records since 2011
Usually recorded in August here:
- Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus2 August records since 2011
Usually recorded in September here:
- Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus3 September records since 2011
- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus3 September records since 2011
American Slippery Jack Suillus americanus2 September records since 2011
Usually recorded in October here:
Hen Of The Woods Grifola frondosa5 October records since 2011- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor5 October records since 2011
- Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamosus4 October records since 2011
- Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatus3 October records since 2011
- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus3 October records since 2011
Late Fall Polypore Ischnoderma resinosum2 October records since 2011
Byssomerulius incarnatus2 October records since 2011
Giant Puffball Calvatia gigantea2 October records since 2011
Usually recorded in November here:
- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor2 November records across all years
Common Porecrust, Split Gill Fungus Schizophyllum commune2 November records across all years
Too few past records in December here to list species.
Most-recorded species
| # | Species | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | |
| 2 | 18 | |
| 3 | 13 | |
| 4 | 11 | |
| 5 | 7 | |
| 6 | 6 | |
| 7 | 6 | |
| 8 | 6 | |
| 9 | 5 | |
| 10 | 5 | |
| 11 | 5 | |
| 12 | 4 | |
| 13 | 4 | |
| 14 | 3 | |
| 15 | 3 |
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: Oct, Jun, May.
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.
- 1
Sep 15, 2026False Parasol Chlorophyllum molybditesnear Des Moines, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record - 2Aug 25, 2026Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatusin Brown's Woods, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 3
Aug 21, 2026Reddening Lepiota Leucoagaricus americanusnear Des Moines, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record - 4Aug 21, 2026Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatusin Easter Lake Park, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 5Jul 5, 2026White Coral Jelly Fungus Sebacina sparassoideain Jester Park, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 6Jul 3, 2026Byssomerulius incarnatusin Margo Frankel Woods State Park, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 7Jul 3, 2026White Coral Jelly Fungus Sebacina sparassoideain Margo Frankel Woods State Park, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 8Jun 25, 2026Leathery-Veiled Bolete Paragyrodon sphaerosporusin George Nahas Park, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 9Jun 24, 2026Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatusin Brown's Woods, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 10Jun 24, 2026Golden Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus citrinopileatusin Brown's Woods, IA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
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How we built this page
266 records of mushrooms, shelf fungi and polypores (class Agaricomycetes) that fall inside this county's Census boundary. Licenses: 116 CC0 and 150 CC BY 4.0. See about the data for the full citation.