Mushroom Hunting

One of the pleasures and delights of living in the country is mushroom hunting. But I don't use a firearm when I go hunting, I use skill, vigilance and eyesight. My favorite "prey" are wildflowers and those most delicate and fragile growing organisms called morel mushrooms. April is the time of the morel mushroom in my woods, so it's time to go in pursuit of this most mysterious, delicious and elusive fungi that Mother Nature teases us with.

The morel mushroom has remained mysterious, indeed, although in the past few years some have had success in actually growing them. The morel grows only in certain areas of the temperate zone, thriving in wooded areas and old orchards, and most people have never seen or tasted it.

I only know of four varieties of morels, all appearing mysteriously about the same time, which is usually the first or second week of April, in my part of the country. It is a time when the weather has warmed up, the earth is humid and abundant showers have blessed the countryside. The choicest of the morels is called the King Morel, which is large, meaty and especially succulent. The King Morel resembles a sponge attached to a short hollow stem, so it isn't the most attractive of the fungi. But in its prime it is cream colored, fresh and dewy and has a delicate smell, evoking all the scents of an awakening spring-the damp leaf mold, new ferns and wildflowers and forest seedlings that have recently emerged.

The appearance of the morel tells us that spring is here to stay and summer is just around the corner. The morel, like nettle, bull thistle and dandelion, grows only on good, rich soil. It loves the fertility and moisture of rich pastures, woodlands or under old apple and pear orchards. The King Morel can frequently be found in old orchards, on the borders of pasture and meadowland, and at times inside the woods, but not too far inside, for it likes lots of sunlight, too.

Then there is the Black morel, which resembles closely the King itself, but is a deep gray that is almost black. I found a dozen of these Black King's, last spring, growing under my ancient pear tree, almost a miracle in itself. For the Black morel is known as a deep woodland morel, and is the most elusive of all the morels.

Then there is the Little King, again with a form and habit growth like that of the King, but smaller and a pale gray in color. Its color makes it difficult to spot. And finally there is the variety that grows in the deep woods with a small brown cap at the end of a tall hollow stem, which is sometimes referred to by country people as "dogpecker," but is every bit as delicious as the more prized varieties.

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