Ever walked past a mushroom and wondered, Can I eat that?
This list of edible mushrooms with pictures will help you learn to recognise 14 beginner-friendly mushrooms you can forage in the UK.
They’re all common, tasty, and easier to identify than some of the trickier species.
These edible wild mushrooms can be roasted, fried, or added to soups and stews—and some are delicious just cooked in butter.
We’ll look at what they taste like, where to find them, and how to forage safely.
Foraging Safety: Read This First
Before you head into the woods or fields, it’s important to learn safe mushroom foraging.
Some wild mushrooms are deadly.
To stay safe:
- Only eat mushrooms you can identify 100%—no guesses!
- Cross-reference using 3 good field guides
- Avoid eating raw wild mushrooms
- Take a spore print if you’re unsure
- Check for poisonous lookalikes
- Consider joining a foraging walk to get first-hand confirmation
If in doubt, leave it out.
This list of edible mushrooms with pictures offers a great starting point for beginner foragers.
List of Edible Mushrooms with pictures
1 Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus)
Also called lawyer’s wig, this mushroom has a rather distinctive shape, making it perfect for beginners.
In fact, it’s the first wild mushroom I ever ate, introduced to me by my husband. And very nice it was too, pan-fried in butter with salt.
It often pops up in grassy areas like lawns, verges, and park edges—sometimes even in city gardens.
How to Spot Them:
- Tall, white cap covered in shaggy scales
- Cylindrical shape when young, turning bell-like with age
- Cap and gills dissolve into black “ink” as it matures
Flavour and Use:
Mild, nutty flavour. Best picked young and cooked right away—try pan-frying in butter or adding to risottos.
Watch out: Don’t eat once the mushroom starts turning black. It should be firm and white when harvested. It doesn’t really look like anything else, but of course, still do your due diligence in terms of research.
Better safe than sorry!
2. Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea)
This mushroom is exactly what it sounds like—giant, white, and round.
A real treat for beginners because there are no poisonous lookalikes once they get past the size of your fist.
How to Spot It:
- White, round ball from the size of an orange to a football
- Pure white inside with firm, marshmallow-like texture
- Found in late summer and autumn, in fields and woodland edges
Flavour and Use:
Mild taste with a fluffy texture. Slice thickly and fry like steak, or dice and add to soups. Must be completely white inside—discard if yellow, brown, or powdery.
3. Hedgehog Fungus (Hydnum repandum)
Widely acknowledged as a great starter mushroom, and one of the first mushrooms I learned to ID.
The hedgehog fungus is easy to recognise thanks to the little ‘spines’ under its cap instead of gills.
How to Spot It:
- Pale beige to light orange cap
- Soft spines (like tiny teeth) under the cap
- Grows in woodland, often near beech or oak
Flavour and Use:
Sweet and nutty with a firm texture. Delicious sautéed in butter. Doesn’t go slimy like some other mushrooms.
4. Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda)
This stunning violet mushroom grows in autumn and early winter. A favourite with foragers thanks to its colour and flavour.
How to Spot It:
- Lilac to purple colour when young, fading to brown
- Pale gills and a frosty white coating when fresh
- Found in leaf litter in woods or sometimes in gardens
Flavour and Use:
Mildly sweet and earthy. Great in creamy dishes or on toast. Always cook thoroughly—never eat raw.
Note: There are a couple of lookalikes, such as the purple cortinarius, so learn this one carefully before picking.
Ready to discover more edible fungi? Let’s dive deeper into this list of edible mushrooms with pictures.
5. Bay Bolete (Imleria badia)
A member of the bolete family, the bay bolete is often found under pine trees.
The beginner’s rule for boletes in the UK is “no red, no blue”.
No red on the underside of the cap or stem, and the flesh should not turn blue upon oxidisation once you have cut it. This rules out all the poisonous bolete mushrooms.
Also look up the bitter bolete, which, as its name suggests, is not one for the pot.
This leaves you with a lot of different edible boletes that you don’t necessarily have to ID to species.
How to Spot the Bay Bolete:
- Brown, velvety cap with a smooth edge
- Yellow pores underneath that bruise blue when touched
- Stout stem, sometimes with a reddish tint
Flavour and Use:
Nutty and rich. Lovely dried for soups and stews or cooked fresh in garlic butter.
6. Birch Bolete (Leccinum scabrum)
Found under birch trees, this bolete is mild in flavour and safe to eat once cooked.
A classic choice for beginners learning to spot mushrooms with pores instead of gills.
See the notes above for IDing boletes.
How to Spot It:
- Brown cap, sometimes cracked on top
- Pale stem with small black scales (‘scabers’)
- Found in birch woodland from late summer to autumn
Flavour and Use:
Mild and mushroomy. Needs thorough cooking. Great in pies, soups, or mixed mushroom dishes.
7. Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)
Bright yellow and shaped like stacked fans, this mushroom looks dramatic and is very easy to spot.
It grows on trees, especially oak and chestnut.
How to Spot It:
- Vivid orange to sulphur-yellow, shelf-like clusters
- Grows on tree trunks and stumps
- Soft and slightly crumbly texture
Flavour and Use:
Tastes surprisingly like chicken! A popular vegan alternative. Best young—older specimens can be tough. Cook well to avoid digestion issues.
Watch out: Make sure you can ID the yew tree before foraging for mushrooms that grow on trees. It is recommended to avoid all chicken of the woods growing from yew. This tree is deadly poisonous, and needles can get stuck inside the mushroom.
8. Beefsteak Fungus (Fistulina hepatica)
This unusual mushroom looks just like a slab of raw meat!
It grows on oak and sweet chestnut trees, often near the base of the trunk.
How to Spot Them:
- Reddish, tongue-shaped cap that oozes red juice when cut
- Flesh is soft and juicy like raw liver
- Grows from wood (not soil)
Flavour and Use:
Tangy and slightly acidic, with a meaty texture. Slice thinly and marinate, or cook like steak. Some people even eat it raw in small amounts.
Watch out: May look a little similar to inedible bracket fungi—make sure it “bleeds” and has that raw meat look.
9. Dryad’s Saddle (Cerioporus squamous)
Also called pheasant’s back, this fan-shaped fungus appears on dead or dying wood, especially in spring.
How to Spot Them:
- Large, scaly cap with brown feather-like markings
- White pores underneath (no gills)
- Grows in shelves on tree trunks or stumps
Flavour and Use:
Mild, slightly nutty flavour with a cucumber scent. Best when young and tender—older ones get tough. Slice into stir-fries or soups.
Watch out: Cut only the soft outer edge. The centre gets woody fast.
10. Wood Ears (Auricularia auricula-judae)
A jelly-like mushroom that grows on elder trees.
It’s a favourite in Chinese cooking – when cooked in this way, it has a crunchy texture on the outside and a chewy texture on the inside.
How to Spot Them:
- Brown, rubbery, ear-shaped fungus
- Grows in clusters on elder wood (sometimes other hardwoods)
- Wobbly and semi-transparent
Flavour and Use:
Mild flavour. Great in soups and stir-fries. Soak dried ones before use.
Watch out: Make sure it’s growing on elder or a known safe hardwood—not from an unknown or poisonous tree.
11. Scarlet Elfcups (Sarcoscypha spp.)
A bright red gem in late winter and early spring, these are among the first edible fungi of the year.
How to Spot Them:
- Small, cup-shaped mushroom in brilliant red
- Grows on damp, mossy logs or twigs
- Appears in winter and early spring
Flavour and Use:
Mild, slightly earthy flavour. Lovely in wild salads or added raw as a garnish. Can also be lightly sautéed.
Watch out: Few lookalikes, but always confirm ID—best foragers’ tip: look for them on fallen sticks in damp woodland.
12. Cauliflower Fungus (Sparassis crispa)
This frilly, brain-like mushroom is a showstopper in the woods and a real culinary treat.
How to Spot Them:
- Pale, ruffled mass that looks like a cauliflower or sea sponge
- Grows at the base of conifer trees
- Often quite large and heavy
Flavour and Use:
Mild, nutty flavour. Cooks beautifully in risottos and creamy sauces. The frilly texture soaks up flavour well.
Watch out: Rinse thoroughly—dirt and insects love to hide in the folds.
I hope you’re enjoying this list of edible mushrooms with pictures so far!
13. Field Blewits (Lepista saeva)
These pale lilac mushrooms love open grassy spaces. You’ll often find them in late autumn or early winter.
How to Spot Them:
- Pale purple to tan cap with lilac tones underneath
- Thick stem and crowded gills
- Grows in fairy rings in fields and meadows
Flavour and Use:
Rich, earthy flavour. Delicious sautéed or added to mushroom pies.
Watch out: Must be cooked before eating. Could possibly be confused with purple Cortinarius species—check ID features for both mushrooms, and if in doubt, do a spore print.
14. Grey Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)
These popular mushrooms can be found in the wild or grown at home.
In the UK, they appear on dead wood in cool, damp months.
How to Spot Them:
- Fan-shaped grey caps growing in clusters
- No true stem—attached sideways to logs or stumps
- White gills that run down the short stem
Flavour and Use:
Mild, savoury, and slightly meaty. Great in pasta, stir-fries, or grilled on toast.
Watch out: Can be confused with similar-looking but bitter mushrooms. Stick to fresh, firm specimens on hardwood.
List of Edible Mushrooms with pictures: Tips for Foraging Mushrooms in the UK
- Start slow. Learn just a few mushrooms well instead of trying to ID everything you see.
- Use your senses. Smell, touch, colour, and even habitat give clues to what you’re looking at.
- Join a group. Local foraging groups or fungal societies often run guided walks.
- Take photos. Use apps like iNaturalist or Seek, but don’t rely on them for eating decisions.
- Leave rare species. Only pick what you’ll use, and always leave enough for wildlife and regrowth.
Cooking with Wild Mushrooms
Here are a few ways to enjoy your finds:
- Fry in butter with garlic, salt and herbs
- Dry and store in jars to use all winter
- Add to soups, stews or pasta
- Make mushroom pâté with nuts and herbs
- Try tempura-style frying for a crispy treat
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List of Edible Mushrooms with pictures: Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this list of edible mushrooms for beginners.
What’s the first wild mushroom you ever ate? How did you learn it?
Happy mushroom hunting!
🍄🌲
