In the land of The Last Frontier, many kinds of fungi do more than just provide food. In addition to being delicious to eat, some mushrooms in Alaska are also used to dye wool and other fibers with their vibrant colors.
Mushrooms play a pivotal role in Alaska’s ecosystems, aiding in nutrient recycling and decomposition, which is essential for the health and regeneration of its vast forests. Furthermore, they contribute to the biodiversity of the region, supporting various wildlife and plant interactions integral to the balance of Alaskan natural habitats.
21 Mushrooms in Alaska
This article will provide you with a list of some of the more common and abundant species of mushroom that can be found in Alaska, as well as information that can assist you in identifying them.
1. Fly Agaric
Scientific Name: Amanita muscaria
The fly agaric is a well-known mushroom that grows in temperate and boreal areas of the Northern Hemisphere, including Alaska. You may be familiar with this fungus, as its iconic red cap covered in white spots frequently appears in popular culture. Even though its toxins can be lessened by parboiling it twice, this species is still not commonly eaten.
2. Grisettes
Scientific Name: Amanita vaginata
The Grisettes are one of the most common types of mushrooms in southern Alaska, where they thrive primarily among conifers but can also be found on hardwoods. Since most members of the amanita family are poisonous, it’s not recommended that you eat these mushrooms, even though they’re technically edible. You can recognize them by their cap, which is grayish to gray-brown or brown, often topped with a patch of tissue, and volva that has a fragile, loose, sac-like cup.
3. Lackluster Laccaria
Scientific Name: Laccaria laccata
If you’ve ever seen a mushroom in the southern Alaskan forest with a pinkish orange to cinnamon cap, you’ve probably seen a Lackluster Laccaria. To identify this fungus, look for its thick, evenly spaced, whitish-to-pink gills and its white spores with stalks that are fibrous and usually darker than the cap.
4. Green Russula
Scientific Name: Russula aeruginea
One of the mushrooms with a bright green cap is the green russula, which thrives in the mossy forests and beneath the spruce trees of southern Alaska. They also have white stalks, and cream spores, and are edible fungi, which is why others have noted that they have a mild flavor.
5. The Gypsy
Scientific Name: Cortinarius caperatus
Many people in southern Alaska harvest the Gypsy mushroom for its edible fungi because it grows in such abundance there. It has clay-colored gills connected to a white stipe with a white ring under the cap. Although the gypsy mushroom is commonly collected for human consumption, inexperienced foragers should avoid it because it can be easily mistaken for a poisonous species.
6. Cortinarius traganus
Scientific Name: Cortinarius traganus
The mushroom known as Cortinarius traganus can be found in abundance in the coniferous forests of western North America, especially in Alaska. Its appearance is due to the lilac to blue-lilac hues of its cap, stalk, and veil, and the saffron-to-brown-yellow mottling of its flesh. Avoiding and not eating this mushroom is recommended because it’s mildly poisonous and looks similar to some deadly species.
7. Cortinarius evernius
Scientific Name: Cortinarius evernius
In Alaska, the Cortinarius evernius is one of the most common mushrooms found growing in the mossy shade of spruce trees. It has a violet hue on its cap when it’s young, but it gradually changes to brown as it ages. Little is known about its edibility, and it’s probably not safe to eat, as most of its close relatives are extremely poisonous.
8. Winter Chanterelle
Scientific Name: Craterellus tubaeformis
The Winter chanterelle is a small edible mushroom that grows in temperate and cold regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Typically found on mossy or rotten wood, you can easily identify these mushrooms by their brownish or orange-brown trumpet-shaped cap and hollow stalk. Due to its smoky, peppery flavor, it’s frequently used in cooking.
9. Aspen Scaber-Stalk
Scientific Name: Leccinum insigne
The Aspen Scaber-Stalk is a typical Alaskan mushroom, and it’s easily recognizable by the tufts of short hairs that range in color from brown to black along its stalk. It’s edible and can be found growing near aspens and conifers. Others, however, have claimed that eating this mushroom gave them headaches and discomfort in the stomach.
10. Bear’s Head
Scientific Name: Hericium abietis
Bear’s Head Fungus is one of the rare but unique species that you can find in the forests of Alaska. You may recognize them by their compact, branched masses of fruit with icicle-like spines that turn yellow as they age. Its common habitat is conifer logs, and its unusual appearance makes it stand out.
11. Red-Belt Conk
Scientific Name: Fomitopsis pinicola
The red-belt conk is another common type of fungi that you can discover in Southern Alaska. This mushroom is typically used as a tinder due to its tough and woody texture, but it’s not recommended for consumption. Red-belt conk has a tough, hoof-shaped or triangular cap that’s orange-yellow with a white margin at first, then dark reddish to brown as it ages.
12. Purple Fairy Club
Scientific Name: Alloclavaria purpurea
If you’ve seen a mushroom with an unusual appearance in Alaska, especially one growing in thin, cylindrical spindles, you’ve most likely seen a Purple Fairy Club. The young of this species are a striking purple, but as they mature, they take on a tan color, making them easy to spot in the mossy forest soil. Although purple fairy clubs can be eaten, their lack of flavor makes them an unpopular option.
13. Crested Coral
Scientific Name: Clavulina cristata
The Crested Coral is a coral-like fungus found in southern Alaska that has pointed or toothed branch tips. This species is closely related to chanterelles and can be identified by its white-to-cream-colored fruiting bodies. While edible, the tough flesh prevents it from being a popular harvest.
14. Hedgehog
Scientific Name: Hydnum repandum
The hedgehog mushroom, also called the sweet tooth, is a delicious delicacy you can find in southern Alaska’s forests. Its cap ranges in color from pale cream to a creamy orange, and its flesh has a dense and soft texture, with a sweet and nutty flavor. Its culinary value has been compared to that of chanterelles, and it’s frequently used in pickling, simmering, and sautéing.
15. Hawk Wing
Scientific Name: Sarcodon imbricatus
If you’ve ever seen a mushroom that looks like a hedgehog but is darker in color, it could be a Hawk Wing, also known as a shingled hedgehog. These mushrooms, which grow in the conifer forests of southern Alaska, are edible but can be bitter unless you boil them first. In addition to resembling a hedgehog, they’re distinguished by a scaly cap that’s buff to medium brown in color.
16. Strawberries and Cream
Scientific Name: Hydnellum peckii
Strawberries and Cream is a name for common fungi in Alaska that have dark, wide caps and short, thick stalks. When the mushroom is young and fresh, you might notice that it has red drops of liquid on it. Additionally, this mushroom has a very intense flavor regardless of age. Although not poisonous, they’re not widely consumed because of their tough texture and unpleasant flavor.
17. Gemmed Puffball
Scientific Name: Lycoperdon perlatum
The Gemmed Puffball, also known as the common puffball, is a type of fungus whose spores are released in a puff when the fungus is touched. It starts out with a marshmallow-like white interior when it’s young, but as it ages, it turns olive-green and eventually releases brown spores. Although edible when young, it must be distinguished properly from potentially poisonous species.
18. Alaskan Gold
Scientific Name: Phaeolepiota aurea
Due to its large size, golden color, powdery surface, skirt-like ring, and brown spores, the Alaskan Gold is one of the easiest mushrooms to identify in Alaska. You can frequently find them flourishing in groups, especially in disturbed environments like parks and roadsides. It’s safe for consumption for many, but it may give some people stomach aches.
19. Gray Fire Morel
Scientific Name: Morchella tomentosa
The Gray Fire Morel, also called the black foot morel, is a fungus that grows after fires in western forests. When they’re young, these species are easily recognized by their dark brownish-black coloring and fine hairs (fuzzy appearance). But as they age, their color changes to a lighter shade. It’s an edible choice but not well tolerated by all individuals, even when cooked.
20. Shrimp Russula
Scientific Name: Russula xerampelina
Shrimp Russula is an edible mushroom with large fruitbodies with a crustacean odor, hence the name. The cap can be a variety of colors, ranging from purple to reddish or maroonish, and the stalk often has hints of pink. Among the many russula species, this one is the most popular for consumption and culinary use.
21. Artist’s Conk
Scientific Name: Ganoderma applanatum
The Artist’s Conk, or Ganoderma applanatum, is a wood-decaying fungus known for its large, shelf-like structure growing on tree trunks and stumps. Distinctive for its polypore nature, this mushroom features a white underside with pores that bruise brown when touched. This characteristic, combined with its rough, brown, bumpy upper surface, makes it easily recognizable in forested regions.
In Alaska, the Artist’s Conk can be found throughout many wooded areas, with the Southeast Alaska rainforest and the Interior’s boreal forest being particularly conducive habitats. These fungi thrive predominantly on dead or dying trees in both hardwood and softwood forests, capitalizing on the vast expanses of Alaskan forests to grow and spread.
Aside from its aesthetic appeal as a natural canvas, the Artist’s Conk’s white pore surface can be etched with designs that become permanent upon drying. In the realm of traditional medicine, while other Ganoderma species are revered for their health benefits, the Artist’s Conk isn’t as commonly consumed. Ecologically, it serves a crucial role as a decomposer, aiding in the breakdown of deadwood and the recycling of nutrients within the forest ecosystem.
Sources:
- “Mushrooms of the National Forests in Alaska”, U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region, February 2013, fs.usda.gov
Louise writes about a wide variety of topics including wildlife, animals, and nature. She’s developed a growing interest in animal biology and categorization due to her fascination with how they interact with one another and with their surroundings.