Wild Mushroom Sightings Could Reach Record Levels Across the UK This Autumn

Have you spotted more mushrooms than usual during a forest walk or in your garden this autumn? The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) predicts that wild mushroom sightings across the UK could reach record levels this season.

Why UK mushroom numbers may be unusually high

The RHS said increased rainfall following a period of drought could help some mushroom species thrive.

Lancashire hunter-gatherer Colin Unsworth said some species had appeared in “bumper” numbers, while others had been difficult to find.

Forager warns against eating unidentified wild mushrooms

Mr Unsworth, who leads foraging trips across Lancashire, warned people not to eat wild mushrooms unless they were certain they had identified them correctly. Some poisonous mushrooms can look very similar to edible varieties.

Mr Unsworth, who runs Forest Horizons in Adlington, said he had found significant numbers of fly agaric, a distinctive red mushroom with white spots, and rosacea.

However, boletus mushrooms, also known as penny buns or sepps, “were a little thin on the ground,” he said. He added that there was a shortage of edible mushrooms across the EU, where they are prized by chefs for their “beautiful, robust flavor”.

Poisonous mushrooms can look like edible species

Mr Unsworth said some poisonous mushrooms, including brown roll rims, could be mistaken for edible varieties.

“You can get mushrooms that look very similar,” he said. “They can be really dangerous.”