A 5-Minute Guide To Finding Morels
April showers bring... funky and delicious little mushrooms.
Mushroom hunters are a particularly secretive group. I’ve been lucky enough to find a good mess of morel mushrooms in my own secret spots, and while I’ll gladly share that I did find them, I am entirely unwilling to share where I harvested them. Even my own children have been sworn to secrecy.
It might be gatekeeping, though I have good reason: morels are tricky to find, growing low to the ground and blending with leaves and downed limbs. Morchella mycelium is also particularly finicky, so much so that researchers and farmers have found it difficult to cultivate these shrooms on a large scale. Wild areas that previously produced bumper crops of mushrooms can unexpectedly dry up due to environmental changes, major ground disturbances, or just because. For these reasons, mushroom hunters who sell their harvests can bring in big bucks — anywhere from $60-100 — creating even more of an incentive to not squeal about your spot.
I’ve hunted for morels off-and-on since I was a teenager, but do not consider myself a mushrooming expert. Frankly, I don’t think you have to be, either. You must, however, know the bounds of your knowledge when foraging wild foods.
There are a million mushroom guides out there, and I wholeheartedly recommend finding one attuned to your region. As a Midwesterner, I particularly like Maxine Stone’s Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms, which can be hard to find. Also helpful is the free pocket guide from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) as a refresher, which shows the three morel variations you may come across:
Common morels (Morchella americana)
Black morels (Morchella angusticeps)
Half-free morels (Morchella punctipes)
While I have only recently found common morels, my hawk-eyed mushrooming mentor (aka my mom) regularly finds black and half-free morels. All are deliciously edible, and I have no shame going to her house for dinner when my basket leaves the woods empty.
When to hunt: Early April through mid-May
Morel season is incredibly weather dependent, starting when daytime temperatures reach into the 70s and evenings hit around 50 degrees, allowing soil temps to rise. You don’t have to track the weather meticulously; I follow the old timely lore that morels appear at the same time mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) spring up. Precipitation is also important — morels like moist but not boggy conditions, so a too-dry or overly wet spring isn’t favorable to finding many.
Where to look: Anywhere that’s not too wet or too dry
There’s no specific environment that morels stick to (remember, I said they’re tricky!) though you may have luck alongside creeks and waterways that are moist, but not soggy. According to MDC, it’s worth checking out areas that have recently experienced flooding or wildfires, since those spots can spring up morels. Hunting around some trees may also increase your odds: elm, ash, and cottonwood trees seem to support morel growth.
Up next: Safely identifying mushrooms
If you’ve been lucky enough to find a few morels, now’s the time to double-check that you’ve gotten the right thing. A few (non-exhaustive) questions to ask yourself:
Is the coloring correct? Common morels tend to be beige or honey-colored, while black morels have the same coloring with deep brown to black ridges on the cap. True morels will never be red or vibrant brown.
Is the mushroom entirely hollow inside when cut in half? Edible morels have a visible hollow cavity when cut open.
Does the mushroom cap have ridges and pits (versus folds or lobes)? Morels have a distinctive appearance
Did I collect this mushroom in the right season? False morels can pop up any time of year, though true morel mushrooms appear briefly only in the spring.
It’s time to pull up your trusty reference guide and compare what you’ve found — false morels do exist, and while some people do eat them, mycologists do not recommend it. I love mushroom hunting with a more experienced forager who knows what they’re looking for, but that’s not always possible; here’s where living in modern times helps. Mushroomers have converged in countless Facebook and Reddit groups to confirm their finds, share expertise, and of course, brag a fair bit.
Note: If you’re ever unsure about a mushroom, toss it. Be happy with the time spent outdoors, searching around for these little wonders. Getting sick from an improperly identified mushroom is never worth it.
How to eat them: Fried, sautéed, or in a cream sauce.
The decision is yours alone — I personally love them lightly battered and fried, but it’s up to your taste buds. The hardest part of morel hunting may be pacing yourself at the dinner table. 🍄
Disclaimer: I am not a professional mycologist, mushroomer, or chef. While I aim to present the most factual and accurate information (to my knowledge) about in-season mushrooms, I highly recommend deferring to the actual mushrooming experts when it comes to safely identifying, harvesting, preparing, and consuming any wild mushrooms. If you’re ever unsure about a mushroom you’ve collected, toss it — take your joy from the hunt and a bit of time spent outdoors, and try again with the help of a professional. Getting sick or meeting the Dirt Man is never worth some weird fungus you found in the woods.
Loved this post. I've always wanted to mushroom hunt. As a city girl I admit I don't know enough to avoid danger. I am thinking in the beginning I plan to harvest mushroom images with my camera.