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Mushrooms in Swain County, North Carolina
Updated October 2026 · from open GBIF records
3,129mushroom records
1,013species recorded
Augbusiest month
3,129 records since 1909 (405 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.
Too few past records in January here to list species.
Usually recorded in February here:
Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus2 February records across all years
Too few past records in March here to list species.
Usually recorded in April here:
Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamosus6 April records across all years
Hemlock Varnish Shelf Ganoderma tsugae4 April records across all years
Red Belted Conk Fomitopsis pinicola3 April records across all years- Fungi Pallidohirschioporus biformis2 April records across all years
Brown Purplepore Bracket Trichaptum fuscoviolaceum2 April records across all years- Neolentinus adhaerens2 April records across all years
Turkeytail Trametes versicolor2 April records across all years
Usually recorded in May here:
Fuzzy Foot Xeromphalina campanella12 May records across all years
Orange Mycena Mycena leaiana3 May records across all years- Hemlock Varnish Shelf Ganoderma tsugae3 May records across all years
Conifer Tuft Hypholoma capnoides2 May records across all years
Common Collybia Gymnopus dryophilus2 May records across all years
Crown-Tipped Coral Artomyces pyxidatus2 May records across all years
Protohydnum album2 May records across all years
Usually recorded in June here:
- Hemlock Varnish Shelf Ganoderma tsugae4 June records since 2011
- Protohydnum album3 June records since 2011
Jellied False Coral Sebacina schweinitzii3 June records since 2011
Golden Gilled Bolete Phylloporus rhodoxanthus2 June records since 2011
Separated-Tubes Bolete Xanthoconium separans2 June records since 2011
Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus2 June records since 2011- Fungi Pallidohirschioporus biformis2 June records since 2011
Berkeley's Polypore Bondarzewia berkeleyi2 June records since 2011
Fluted Bird's Nest Cyathus striatus2 June records since 2011
Golden Spindles Clavulinopsis fusiformis2 June records since 2011
Cinnabar Chanterelle Cantharellus cinnabarinus2 June records since 2011- Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamosus2 June records since 2011
Usually recorded in July here:
- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus8 July records since 2011
Greenfoot Fibrecap Inosperma calamistratum6 July records since 2011
Decorated Mop Tricholomopsis decora5 July records since 2011
Red-And-Black Russula Russula dissimulans5 July records since 2011
Hydnum aerostatisporum5 July records since 2011
Yellow Patches Amanita flavoconia4 July records since 2011- Hydnum subtilior4 July records since 2011
Hintapink Russula paludosa4 July records since 2011
Russula hypofragilis4 July records since 2011- Protohydnum album4 July records since 2011
Butter-Foot Bolete Boletus auripes4 July records since 2011
Gerard Milky Lactarius gerardii3 July records since 2011
Usually recorded in August here:
- Yellow Patches Amanita flavoconia4 August records since 2011
White Hedgehog Hydnum albidum4 August records since 2011
Brown Roll Rim Paxillus involutus4 August records since 2011
Clustered Toughshank Collybiopsis confluens3 August records since 2011
Gunpowder Amanita Amanita onusta3 August records since 2011
Crested Coral Clavulina coralloides3 August records since 2011- Hydnum aerostatisporum3 August records since 2011
- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus3 August records since 2011
Red Cracking Bolete Xerocomellus chrysenteron2 August records since 2011
Lilac Bonnet Mycena pura2 August records since 2011
Russula rugulosa2 August records since 2011
Xanthoconium purpureum2 August records since 2011
Usually recorded in September here:
Cat's Tongue Pseudohydnum gelatinosum3 September records since 2011
Common Earthball Scleroderma citrinum3 September records since 2011
Snell's Bolete Leccinum snellii2 September records since 2011
Yellow Tricholoma Tricholoma subluteum2 September records since 2011
Flaming Scalycap Pholiota flammans2 September records since 2011
Fistulina americana2 September records since 2011
Violet Webcap Cortinarius violaceus2 September records since 2011
False Turkeytail Stereum lobatum2 September records since 2011- Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus2 September records since 2011
White Cheese Polypore Tyromyces chioneus2 September records since 2011- Birch Mazegill, Gilled Polypore Lenzites betulinus2 September records since 2011
Usually recorded in October here:
Late Fall Polypore Ischnoderma resinosum4 October records since 2011
Willow Glue Hydnoporia tabacina3 October records since 2011
Gloiothele citrina3 October records since 2011
Rosy Conk Rhodofomes cajanderi3 October records since 2011
Postia fragilis2 October records since 2011- Cyanosporus simulans2 October records since 2011
- False Turkeytail Stereum lobatum2 October records since 2011
- Turkeytail Trametes versicolor2 October records since 2011
- Birch Mazegill, Gilled Polypore Lenzites betulinus2 October records since 2011
- Common Earthball Scleroderma citrinum2 October records since 2011
Usually recorded in November here:
- Conifer Tuft Hypholoma capnoides2 November records across all years
Orange Spindle Clavulinopsis aurantiocinnabarina2 November records across all years- Late Fall Polypore Ischnoderma resinosum2 November records across all years
Usually recorded in December here:
Late Fall Oyster Mushroom Sarcomyxa serotina2 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 | 24 | |
| 2 | 21 | |
| 3 | 18 | |
| 4 | 18 | |
| 5 | 17 | |
| 6 | 17 | |
| 7 | 16 | |
| 8 | 15 | |
| 9 | 15 | |
| 10 | 15 | |
| 11 | 14 | |
| 12 | 14 | |
| 13 | 14 | |
| 14 | 14 | |
| 15 | 14 |
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, Jul, Sep.
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 17, 2026Cornflower Bolete Gyroporus cyanescensin Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record - 2Sep 13, 2026Fistulina americanain Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 3Sep 12, 2026Fistulina americanain Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 4
Sep 12, 2026Flaming Gold Bolete Aureoboletus auriflammeusin Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record - 5Sep 8, 2026Birch Mazegill, Gilled Polypore Lenzites betulinusin Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 6Sep 8, 2026Dryad's Saddle Cerioporus squamosusin Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 7Sep 8, 2026Birch Mazegill, Gilled Polypore Lenzites betulinusin Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 8Aug 6, 2026Crown-Tipped Coral Artomyces pyxidatusin Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 9Jul 21, 2026Butter-Foot Bolete Boletus auripesin Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · iNaturalist photo, research grade · original record
- 10Jul 21, 2026Butter-Foot Bolete Boletus auripesin Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC · 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
3,129 records of mushrooms, shelf fungi and polypores (class Agaricomycetes) that fall inside this county's Census boundary. Licenses: 2,842 CC0 and 287 CC BY 4.0. See about the data for the full citation.