Wild Mushroom Walk; Identifying wild mushrooms: Candy caps, cats tongue, laccaria, russula, dyers

In this video Aaron Hilliard of Mushroom Wonderland, and board member of Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society takes a walk in the forest in late November in Washington state to see what mushrooms are growing. This is a mainly coniferous forest in western Washington near the Puget Sound at about 300 ft asl. I come across Laccaria laccata and show the difference between them and the photogenic relative Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis. Then I come across a beautiful patch of Lactarius rubidus, the ever popular and sought after 'Candy Cap,' a milky latex secreting late fall mushroom that takes on the smell and taste of pungent molasses candy or maple syrup. A great addition to sweet dishes around the holidays. Then I come across 3 different types of Russula mushrooms, Russula brevipies, Russula xerampelina (aka the Shrimp Russula), and an unknown but acrid and likely toxic species of Russula. We also come across a Dyers Polypore (Phaeolus schweinitzii) and talk about dyeing fabric with mushrooms. A fun but small look at what is going on in the woods around here right now.

I will continue to upload foraging and ID videos through the cold days of winter, after these mushrooms will have likely stopped growing for the winter, but it is too difficult to stay on top of them as they grow in real time. Hope you stay tuned, hit that subscribe button and notification bell to see when the next video comes out. I am currently trying to keep it at a new video once a week, maybe 5 days. Thank you all, much love, good vibes to you all!