Death Cap Mushroom

mushroom · poison · Europe · dangerous

Incredibly poisonous. The death cap contains toxins so powerful that just half a mushroom can kill an adult human. These poisons damage the liver and kidneys, and there is no cure once you've been poisoned.

Traveled around the world. Death caps originally grew only in Europe, but since the late 1900s, they have spread to other continents when people planted non-native oak, chestnut, and pine trees. The mushrooms formed friendships with these trees underground and grew in new places.

Tricky appearance. Death caps usually have greenish caps with white stalks and gills underneath, but some are completely white. Because they look so similar to edible mushrooms, people can easily mistake them for safe ones to eat.

Summer and autumn fruiting. These mushrooms fruit and appear above ground during late summer and fall, when they pop up in forests and gardens near trees.

Partner with trees. Death caps form special relationships with broadleaved trees, where fungal threads connect to tree roots and help both organisms survive together.