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Mushrooms in Essex County, Massachusetts
Updated October 2026 · from open GBIF records
770mushroom records
275species recorded
Augbusiest month
770 records since 1800 (385 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:
Turkeytail Trametes versicolor4 January records across all years
Cellar Fungus Coniophora puteana2 January records across all years
Willow Glue Hydnoporia tabacina2 January records across all years
Glue Crust Fungus Hydnoporia corrugata2 January records across all years
Too few past records in February here to list species.
Usually recorded in March here:
Brown Cubical Rot Of Birch Fomitopsis betulina5 March records since 2011
Hemlock Varnish Shelf Ganoderma tsugae3 March records since 2011- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor2 March records since 2011
Northern Cinnabar Polypore Trametes cinnabarina2 March records since 2011
Usually recorded in April here:
- Brown Cubical Rot Of Birch Fomitopsis betulina14 April records since 2011
- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor4 April records since 2011
- Fungi Pallidohirschioporus biformis3 April records since 2011
Milk-White Toothed Polypore Irpex lacteus3 April records since 2011
Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa3 April records since 2011
Common Porecrust, Split Gill Fungus Schizophyllum commune2 April records since 2011
Bitter Oysterling Panellus stipticus2 April records since 2011
False Turkeytail Stereum lobatum2 April records since 2011
Usually recorded in May here:
- Brown Cubical Rot Of Birch Fomitopsis betulina4 May records across all years
- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor4 May records across all years
- Birch Mazegill, Gilled Polypore Lenzites betulinus2 May records across all years
Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamosus2 May records across all years
Usually recorded in June here:
- Hemlock Varnish Shelf Ganoderma tsugae3 June records since 2011
Bitter Bolete Tylopilus felleus3 June records since 2011
Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus2 June records since 2011
Crown-Tipped Coral Artomyces pyxidatus2 June records since 2011- Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamosus2 June records since 2011
Usually recorded in July here:
- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus3 July records since 2011
Berkeley's Polypore Bondarzewia berkeleyi3 July records since 2011
Yellow Patches Amanita flavoconia2 July records since 2011
Black-Staining Polypore Meripilus sumstinei2 July records since 2011- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor2 July records since 2011
Usually recorded in August here:
- Brown Cubical Rot Of Birch Fomitopsis betulina11 August records since 2011
Apple Bolete Exsudoporus frostii8 August records since 2011- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus6 August records since 2011
Jack O Lantern Omphalotus illudens4 August records since 2011
Botryobasidium subcoronatum3 August records since 2011- Black-Staining Polypore Meripilus sumstinei3 August records since 2011
Devil's Dipstick Mutinus elegans3 August records since 2011- Sarcoporia longitubulata2 August records since 2011
Fluted Bird's Nest Cyathus striatus2 August records since 2011
Wrinkled Cortinarius Cortinarius corrugatus2 August records since 2011- Berkeley's Polypore Bondarzewia berkeleyi2 August records since 2011
Ringless Honey Mushroom Desarmillaria caespitosa2 August records since 2011
Usually recorded in September here:
- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus7 September records since 2011
- Brown Cubical Rot Of Birch Fomitopsis betulina5 September records since 2011
Spotted Cort Cortinarius iodes5 September records since 2011
Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria4 September records since 2011
Hen Of The Woods Grifola frondosa4 September records since 2011- Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamosus3 September records since 2011
Painted Suillus Suillus spraguei3 September records since 2011- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor3 September records since 2011
Eastern Stinkhorn Phallus ravenelii3 September records since 2011
Black Trumpet Craterellus cornucopioides2 September records since 2011
Wood Blewit Lepista nuda2 September records since 2011
Clustered Bonnet Mycena inclinata2 September records since 2011
Usually recorded in October here:
- Hen Of The Woods Grifola frondosa7 October records since 2011
- Brown Cubical Rot Of Birch Fomitopsis betulina5 October records since 2011
- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus2 October records since 2011
- Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria2 October records since 2011
- Eastern Stinkhorn Phallus ravenelii2 October records since 2011
- Hemlock Varnish Shelf Ganoderma tsugae2 October records since 2011
Stinky Squid Pseudocolus fusiformis2 October records since 2011
Usually recorded in November here:
Late Fall Oyster Mushroom Sarcomyxa serotina5 November records across all years- Brown Cubical Rot Of Birch Fomitopsis betulina3 November records across all years
Meadow Waxcap Cuphophyllus pratensis2 November records across all years
Tyromyces galactinus2 November records across all years- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor2 November records across all years
Spreading Phlebia Phlebia radiata2 November records across all years
Usually recorded in December here:
- Fungi Pallidohirschioporus biformis5 December records since 2011
Crowded Parchment Stereum complicatum3 December records since 2011- Bitter Oysterling Panellus stipticus3 December records since 2011
Hoof Fungus Fomes fomentarius2 December records since 2011
Crimped Gill Plicaturopsis crispa2 December records since 2011- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor2 December records since 2011
- Brown Cubical Rot Of Birch Fomitopsis betulina2 December records since 2011
Mock Oyster Mushroom Phyllotopsis nidulans2 December records since 2011- Hemlock Varnish Shelf Ganoderma tsugae2 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 | 55 | |
| 2 | 29 | |
| 3 | 21 | |
| 4 | 15 | |
| 5 | 14 | |
| 6 | 13 | |
| 7 | 12 | |
| 8 | 11 | |
| 9 | 11 | |
| 10 | 11 | |
| 11 | 10 | |
| 12 | 10 | |
| 13 | 10 | |
| 14 | 9 | |
| 15 | 8 |
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: Aug, Sep, Oct.
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.
- 1Oct 5, 2026Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureusnear Swampscott, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 2Sep 29, 2026Fly Agaric Amanita muscariain Crystal Lake Conservation Area, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 3Sep 23, 2026Eastern Stinkhorn Phallus raveneliinear Haverhill, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 4Sep 21, 2026Wood Blewit Lepista nudain Crystal Lake Conservation Area, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 5Sep 21, 2026Wood Blewit Lepista nudain Crystal Lake Conservation Area, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 6
Sep 21, 2026Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatumnear Haverhill, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record - 7Sep 21, 2026Spotted Cort Cortinarius iodesin Crystal Lake Conservation Area, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 8
Sep 21, 2026Asian Beauty Radulomyces copelandiiin Crystal Lake Conservation Area, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record - 9Sep 21, 2026Fungi Pallidohirschioporus biformisin Crystal Lake Conservation Area, MA · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 10Sep 21, 2026Spotted Cort Cortinarius iodesin Crystal Lake Conservation Area, MA · 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
770 records of mushrooms, shelf fungi and polypores (class Agaricomycetes) that fall inside this county's Census boundary. Licenses: 477 CC0 and 293 CC BY 4.0. See about the data for the full citation.