Mushrooms 101: Identification in Collection & Observation - Part 2

Here is Part 2 of our Mushroom 101 series. In this episode we sniff, poke and prod. That’s right, in the collection process there are interesting observations we must make in order to identify our mushrooms. In Part 1 we covered the anatomy of a mushroom, but we must go beyond that, gathering essential clues that’ll help us piece together a mushroom’s identity.
Curious if there’s a mushroom club near you? Search the internet for ‘Mushroom Clubs’ or ‘Mycological Associations’, or check out the North America Mycological Association’s website for affiliated clubs near you: namyco.org/clubs.php
If you want to catch up with my mushroom life more regularly, be sure to follow me on Instagram.
ALSO! Check out the Yellow Elanor shop on Etsy for Holiday and Christmas gift ideas! Stickers, shirts, journals, totes at etsy.com/yellowleanor
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Mushroom ID Foraging Fungi Yellow Elanor Mushroom Identification Pacific Northwest

[@YellowElanor]

What is your favorite mushroom to smell? Or most memorable scent!

[@zachzoller]

For me - memorable would have to be the horrific rotting Porcini. But, I don't remember the name of the mushroom we found at the 4:34 mark. That might be my favorite to have smelled.

[@myoutdoorlife3833]

Hands down favorite for me is the fruity Chanterelle!!!

[@christiang6932]

Not knowing if I had my very first Candy Cap or not, letting it dry and then smelling it. It was intoxicating.

[@sethroberts5503]

That is easy!!! Clitocybe odora! I found some this year up in the foot hills of Mt Hood OR! It blew my mind how strong the sent was! I had never found any before, so I took a couple home to id.

[@FindInNature]

Clitocybe fragrans and Hygrocybe russocoriacea

[@LivingDreamerr]

Eleanor has definitely tripped on magic mushrooms. 😅 I recognize when someone is connected to "being" and has tapped into the wisdom of fungi.😊

[@Naughtz]

I sure hope you are a teacher for a living!! This is for sure your calling. I was entertained, charmed and learned a ton from you while others on KZbin are dryer then a popcorn fart! Please keep the videos coming especially the edible videos. Your brother is a magician with his editing as well. Carry on pretty lady I have a lot to catch up on🤙🏻

[@Evilawn]

The number of views of this video are criminally low. It's entertaining, educative, well edited, researched and digestible. Great stuff! Kudos!

[@jc7832]

When I see a new Yellow Elanor video, I do a little happy dance too :)

[@YellowElanor]

Quick, do one right now and we happy dance together!

[@shainemaine1268]

Im going to be alot more... delicate ..about foraging this season. Last season I just wanted to find the magic, with some mild "success". I'd just like to dive-in fully this time around, spend everyday in the woods (at least a little bit) and really get to know the ecology of where I live. Maybe find some wild edibles to cultivate. As she said, enjoy the details... It can be very difficult to keep yourself in a peaceful, receptive mindset when on an exhaustive search for one specific thing. I don't want to just bumble through the woods like an adolescent looking for a cheap high. It's not even enjoyable and just leads to frustration, defeating the entire purpose anyways. It was the opposite of everything I was striving for... and with everything the way it is, I just hope we make it to "next season" so I can try to do better.

[@nathanielanderson4898]

I am really into Micology. I have books, but no friends. Thank you for your videos.

[@stashgrabowski8912]

unlucky bro

[@stephenseed5015]

You are awesome! I'm so glad someone can put it in an easy way to understand. I share your passion, and amazement of mycology. I love mushrooms for every reason. Just ask my friend Paul stamets.😁

[@jkrenz77]

This was awesome! So much info but digestible! Thank you!! 😊

[@ConstipatedAssassin]

Love your videos. We don’t always have the mushrooms you talk about here on the east coast but you’re still very informative :)

[@Saffirance]

This is my new favorite channel. I've been studying for years but I'm still learning from you so much. Thank you

[@mckenziekaethler3672]

Love the kids cameos at 11:52!

[@stacieislearning391]

Your awesome 😎 Thanks for being you! ♥️

[@mickeyd7283]

You’re…. Learning Stacie 😉sorry your user name made it irresistible.

[@ossumopossum]

OMFG the sticker quality is beyond amazing. I do love my sticker!! Thank you

[@JamieSlays]

These videos are super informative. I’ve recently become obsessed with mushroom and tour videos are awesome

[@mrc4912]

The old Italians in my family constantly went after the Boletus Edulis (porcini) mushrooms and I went along with them as a kid and it was a thrilling quest to find these beauties. Some of them had caps bigger than a dinner plate with stems the size of a coffee mug. I remember having to return to the car to dump the mushrooms out of the burlap sack because it was too heavy to carry. They used to slice them and place them on drying trays and when dry, they would put them in large jars with bay leaves and whole cayenne peppers as a preservative. They made the best pasta sauce ever!

[@lucaswalrod7199]

Both parts of this series were exactly what I was hoping to find. Well, probably better than I hoped to find. Hooked.

[@victorjackson6539]

Well you can check out @dawinmyco on Instagram to get some mushrooms,dmt,one up candy bar and others..if you're interested

[@FindInNature]

Nice tips. There's so many different species, so much to learn. Some are easier to identify than others, but careful observations are very important to be able to know more and more mushrooms. It takes time, but it's a rewarding activity, and the contact with nature is awesome Thanks for your great way to teach how it can be done.

[@myoutdoorlife3833]

Oh how I wish I was harvesting the funky looking but delicious lobster mushroom right now and also sniffing the ever so awesome fragrant smell of my favorite chanterelle.....but with a foot of snow on the ground right now and much more on the way, I'll have to wait a good 6 months to enjoy that again....I love your videos.....👍

[@zachzoller]

Hopefully our next video will give you a little sense of being out and exploring the woods for mushrooms even while you're cozy at home.

[@valariezacharias4776]

Well, it's now July. I hope you're enjoying that now!

[@manimal.]

You are a wonderful teacher ...very in depth ..easy on the ears and absolutely wonderful on the eyes ....so pleased some people have not lost it completely in 2020 ....mushroom on ...lol live out loud ....their is a fungus among us

[@NewMessage]

Loving this series... cursing the snow outside that keeps me from heading out into the bush to put it into practice, but... loving the series.

[@patriciabragg9774]

I want to thank you Yellow, Mushrooms 101 series. Great illustrations, science, identification, tips, I learned so much. You have a wonderful presence.

[@garybevers]

Always good info.

[@motleythewild]

I'm trying to grow mushrooms and this is helping me learn and take notes, so thank you.

[@neiljohnston5765]

Fantastic insight your knowledge amazes me!

[@shell88ish]

Thanks so much....it's so succinct and right to the vital core points. I'm a beginner and you are a great teacher!

[@ljbyron0225]

I’m so excited to learn more about mushrooms! I can’t wait to get through more of the episodes.

[@pfaffman100]

You're channel is so informative, found you're channel today with the morels , now enjoying my new subscription. Awesome. Many thank you's.

[@kalendrinn]

Silly idea - cooking component for your harvested mushrooms...maybe sharing how you do a favorite recipe or something of that nature? I know you mention some ideas in some of your mushroom specific vids, but actually showing us could be cool. Kind of the Nature to Table sort of idea, and any intermediate steps that might be involved like soaking.

[@Enoch333one]

Happy holidays much love! Yayyyyy

[@somedavechannel]

Thanks Elanor! Great Stuff!

[@RichardRoy2]

I have a poor sense of smell, and I'm relatively new to this. I'm also kinda interested in the ability for some fungi that has a great capacity to decompose wood fiber. Also, there seems to be several interests in it for different functions, like permaculture's interest in rebuilding soils and understand the relationship so important to plants. This is the second of an interesting series. Love the way you describe the kinds of details to take interest in. You pack the information in with helpful photos, of pretty good quality from where I sit, which enhances the info quite well. Nice work. Thank you.

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@jonnymycomushrooms]

Awesome videos. Thanks again

[@victorjackson6539]

Awesome video indeed. Well you can check out @dawinmyco on Instagram to get some mushrooms,dmt,one up candy bar and others..if you're interested

[@macmckulis7440]

Love it well done yet again. This is mushrooms.....

[@matteframe]

Really have to start smelling those mushrooms. Field guides don't bring that up too often. I actually brought home some candy caps and didn't realize it until they dried out and smelled incredible. Nice surprise. -Oakland hills

[@andrewwilliams762]

Why am I missing this class by a month!!! Sorry I'm late. My interest is mostly culinary. I'm stuck in the midwest these days, and the only mushroom that I remember enjoying the smell of pheasant's back. It smelled like watermelon rind. I wish I could've spent more time in the PNW. I did find some huge King Boletes, Lobsters, and a few others that were delicious. I hope to get that way again.

[@owenwilliams3285]

Hell yeah! Keep em coming !!

[@themardbard9096]

This video is SO helpful and awesome! I'm subscribing, I love mushrooms!!!

[@mauraborealice]

Congratulations! I have just "discovered" you, love your videos. As a beginner, you are technically by first mushroom guide.

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ??

[@maryland510]

Great info! Well presented!

[@movingnaturefilms]

Welcome back, Rachel. :)

[@emileymiller7058]

Thank you. Very informative

[@johnbozaan1024]

Love your videos, thank you!

[@silentgrove7670]

Happy New Year. May all your mycelium adventures produce glorious fruiting bodies. And the spores to find new purchase in the soil of home. :P

[@JennyNobody]

You are my literal hero

[@lovethemack]

that was so fun!

[@lendaryreviews]

Ty .... im learning. This is an eye opening. Learning about paul statement new movie on mushrooms

[@ghz24]

Stamets? Paul Stamets, the mushroon guru.

[@lendaryreviews]

@@ghz24 yea but ive learn so much in the past yr. Not just him in the past 10 yrs more american scientists are appearing. Assuming the guru wants philosophy to pass on. & laws kick in. The only way to do this is to be fundamentally funded or private. & we know money doesn grow like mushrooms. (Exept when bulding a house out brick from mushrooms & mycelium.) Life about to change in 2021. I just hope for the better. Got nothing to volunteer my time. ^_^

[@lucaswalrod7199]

Great video, as always. I hope your brother gets his fair share of compliments on the filming and editing lol. That jacket is on point too.

[@BlueGnome42]

Learned the dig it up lesson the hard way when I got home and realized the little mushroom I picked was probably a Cordyceps attached to a deer truffle. I’m still not over this dumb move. 😭

[@blackheartgaming6121]

12:14 reminds me of the spongebob episode about the nematodes lol

[@KM-dd8ff]

You’re absolutely fantastic! I love your videos!

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@keithhowell2862]

Thank you for the education! I've got a degree in ag, I'm 62 and living in the Philippines now (americano ako), bored as heck with almost 2 years worth of the harshest lockdowns in all of asia (Davao City), and I've JUST gotten into the fascinating study and hunting of this amazing creation. I hope to be as learned as you some day. As a side note, You are FANTASTIC at these video creations!! Keep them coming! and I really loved that jacket you had on in part one.. So colorful. Thanks Again! (I wish I could upload a pic here.. I found this huge white mushroom the other day, grassy area among broadleaf weeds that was like 10". The cap looked like (based on internet searches) a big butt!.. stem was broad and somewhat tapering from the bottom to the top. (top smaller).. Sigh.. I wish I had watched these videos BEFORE I went hunting.. hahaha

[@ronraby4561]

Very knowledgeable dear.

[@joellemorse8720]

Another great video 😊🤗, you really are my favourite person ever ☀️🧡🍄

[@victorjackson6539]

😊😉Well you can check out @dawinmyco on Instagram to get some mushrooms,dmt,one up candy bar and others..if you're interested

[@m3m437]

I like this a lot.

[@garybevers]

Where's the book. This has to be a book!!

[@blackbart99]

I have an idea for you...Build a Strawberry Heart...what is that? In a corner of the woods near your house put 4-5 wheellbarrow's of dirt for a strawberry mound( maybe a small animal spirit statue in the middle(owl,fox,whatever you want to make it) Plant red rasberries and golden raz or double gold raz all around the mound except for a small opening. Now blackberry and blueberries of all varieties as well as a few other plants to make it look natural. Make a small pathway thru the shrubs by planting and then trimming up. Only little kids get to crawl thru the small opening to get the the red berries of the strawberry heart. How much fun is that for little kids 4-6 yrs. old. As part of a larger u-pick set up would be really cool. BB99

[@Matt-fh6ip]

I love this channel

[@mariabentele7909]

Love it,Thank you

[@victorjackson6539]

I can feel that Joy 😊 Well you can check out @dawinmyco on Instagram to get some mushrooms,dmt,one up candy bar and others..if you're interested

[@jkoziar75]

Haha the sexual innuendo 🤣 .. I thought the one from the last video might have been in my head .. but now after watching this second part video.. I know it's not me lol

[@2779mattie]

This was great I just started getting into mushrooms I didn’t know there where so many weird ones they are so alien like some of them any how, I feal like I’m exploring another planet nice video! And thanks for the knowledge🙏

[@thinginground5179]

4:30 i remember smelling a mushroom that smelt like some melted acidic plastic

[@victorjackson6539]

Lol really. Well you can check out @dawinmyco on Instagram to get some mushrooms,dmt,one up candy bar and others..if you're interested

[@thinginground5179]

@@victorjackson6539 Nope I prefer getting my magic mushrooms from nature rather than speaking to a dodgy dealer, but thanks.

[@ghz24]

Really like your content. Please consider going even deeper with more technical terms.

[@maceface1610]

Super educational

[@victorjackson6539]

Exactly I must say. Well you can check out @dawinmyco on Instagram to get some mushrooms,dmt,one up candy bar and others..if you're interested

[@michaeljackson7361]

You are awesome. Thanks. Had to subscribe.

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@walkingbacktogardening381]

amazing info 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦✌🇨🇦

[@victorjackson6539]

Yes exactly. Well you can check out @dawinmyco on Instagram to get some mushrooms,dmt,one up candy bar and others..if you're interested

[@ronraby4561]

And I love it

[@Bluecollar780]

Love love

[@stevemace1725]

This was an easy subscribe

[@stevemace1725]

I find morels but never ate a Cantrell I'm from western montana and don't know the time of year to look around here.i heard june?

[@thisisbigfoot4823]

Spot on for mushroom ID

[@Mote.]

I found a yellowish tan mushroom today. The top looks like a turtle shell.

[@chelsiereeder7931]

Thank you so much for this 💜. Did I happen miss the part explaining what all these identifiers mean, edible/ toxic? 🙏🏼💜

[@YellowElanor]

No, you didn’t miss it-because there isn’t exactly an answer that fits! Each identifier is simply a part of the puzzle to finding out what a mushroom’s ID is. The identifiers don’t signify edible/toxic themselves…it’s kind of tricky with mushrooms, it would be so nice if we could say “white gills, brown spores and a veil means edible”, but there aren’t any hard lines we can draw with that. Sometimes there are general guidelines (red pores that stain blue means don’t eat it, for example), but it’s not a rule that holds true 100% of the time. We use the identifiers to find an ID, then with that ID learn about the edibility/toxicity of the mushroom. Hope that helps!

[@kyleyohe9248]

Hi I just subscribed and learning every day about mushrooms and wanted to thank you for all your knowledge. I was wondering what part of the PNW you are in?

[@kyleyohe9248]

I'm from Carson Washington area.

[@YellowElanor]

I’m not too far from you, Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge as well.

[@kyleyohe9248]

Oh thats cool! hope to see you out in the woods sometime id love to learn more from you. I'm having the hardest time finding morels.

[@kyleyohe9248]

Do you have a video on tree identification ? I feel I'm lacking in tree knowledge 😕

[@IAmTheJManOfficial]

Thanks for all the tips! I would like to train my sniffer to detect good mushrooms. But I have a question 🙋‍♂️ should I be worried snorting spores? Probably a stupid question… but I don’t want to die.

[@porkcheeks]

You should make a smell your mushrooms shirt

[@zacraharuhi1832]

Fuck sakes this is a trip. I’ve been paying attention to allthethings you’re talking about. I’m still coming up lol the way you talk about mushrooms has got me fucking smiling lol fuck sakes

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@hotelcableinstall]

Is there a picture identifying website.

[@robmorris8718]

Great video. I love how you made this in a way so it is less intimidating for a beginner. One thing I think would be great in a subsequent video would be to demonstrate how to use a chemical reagent kit to assist with id. Maybe show a useful id with potassium hydroxide, one with iron sulfate, and one with ammonia. I am thinking maybe shrimp russula may be one you could do. Here is an example of a kit you can purchase online mushroomlife.com/products/chemical-reagents-for-mushroom-id

[@YellowElanor]

A video with reagents would be so fun! And I already have that kit, my friend and their partner run Mushroom Life :)

[@elliotvalory6706]

make sure to pat your mushrooms before u pull them to release spores!

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@Mote.]

I like your profile pic for the channel

[@ArtisanArmoury]

What kind of tree is that?...The one that's giving you a message throughout the video.

[@blackheartgaming6121]

Has anyone ever mixed the spores together to see if they would come up with a new breed of mushroom

[@bella-bee]

I’ve a feeling once the spores are formed it’s too late to be mixing genes, that happens earlier in the process. But you might be able to grow a mixed crop if the conditions they both like are similar enough? But I don’t know.

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@mrblewoop]

ohhhhh! I love your mushrooms! But could you put mushrooms in the background so we could see real mushrooms?

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@christaljaneapuya3278]

Do you have a videos about conks and finger tips size mushrooms 😊

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@zubenelgenubi]

Just HAVE to ask: what if the spores from smelling the mushroom begin to sprout from my nose?!

[@matheuscarneiro380]

Brasil ama vc

[@valariezacharias4776]

the bleeding tooth fungus looks like a mutated pomegranate!

[@darrinscoilsclouds1498]

Magic mushrooms 🍄

[@garybainbridge6942]

Which is the best field guide for beginners in the Pacific North West, in your opinion.

[@YellowElanor]

Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. We may not be exactly there, but the photos, more up to date taxonomy and descriptions (they note the PNW often) are fantastic.

[@matteframe]

All the Rain Promises and More is a great west coast pocket guide.

[@LavenderLori406]

Have you ever found a Pollyozellus multiplex?!

[@elapsingpoison]

WHERES MY PART 3?!?

[@cianhanson4334]

What field guild do you prefer?

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@allenfontenot5255]

Goofy question, is smelling mushrooms is safe?

[@benstalder6882]

Will we get some new vids soon?

[@YellowElanor]

How about Friday 😊

[@benstalder6882]

@@YellowElanor Its still too cold where I live. Hopefully you are finding them in your neck of the woods!

[@cpk313]

LBM How many ? Too many.

[@evegalvin7135]

How are you supposed to unearth the entire mushroom if it's growing in wood

[@YellowElanor]

Do your best to get to the base attachment, sometimes it’s on the surface of the wood but sometimes deeper so it can’t always happen. Often I find that the first layer of bark is already pulling away from the wood and that is where many mushrooms attach.

[@ammonite409]

I don't believe that smelling mushrooms is not a good idea since you might inhale spores into your lungs and there is a possibility to those spores to attach your lung tissue.

[@johndoe43]

I am now 62 yrs old and have a couple of friends.that.find.morels but when I was 5 yrs and beyond. We.would readily find.large amounts not far from Sedalia mo. We also would find a few large red. Mushrooms that had off white stems hollow with a cap wrinkled like morels. These would be 3to 5 inches in diameter and maybe 6 inches.tall. I never see any thing about them nor have I seen them in any mushroom book. A doctor my dad had claimed.to. know of these and said. You can eat.them and be ok and maybe. Eat.them later and they can kill you. We never died but as I said we would find. 10 or15 a year. Would love to know if you know the mushroom I'm talking. About. We just called them big red. Ones

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@johndoe43]

@@natashawalker1345 I don't understand

[@darkvader2660]

I thought you weren’t supposed to smell mushrooms because you inhale spores. Inhaling the wrong spores can make you sick no?

[@adixon6237]

Love these identification videos but as a Brit it’s odd that an American mycologist ( even an amateur one) calls them mushrooms rather than fungi. It’s a bit dumbing down. Actually having seen episode 3 I see it’s just an American thing in that all US fungi books are called mushroom books. If you talk about mushrooms on a foray in the UK you’d be presumed to be clueless. They’re just called mushrooms in supermarkets

[@natashawalker1345]

Check ✔️ out

[@natashawalker1345]

They're on INSTAGRAM

[@natashawalker1345]

Trip_world1 ???