Beware Poisonous Mushrooms

Poisonous Mushrooms in & Around Melbourne

Now that the cooler weather his upon us, so is wild mushroom season! 

Please BE AWARE when picking your own mushrooms that there are POISONOUS mushrooms growing in and around Melbourne.

The Death Cap mushroom

The mushroom seen below is known as the Death Cap mushroom and is so poisonous that eating only one of these mushrooms has the potential to kill an adult. If ingested, symptoms can include: terrible stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. These mushrooms can also seriously damage the liver, which may result in death.  

Death Cap mushrooms can be found under Oak trees and can range in size from 40-160mm in diameter. The cap ranges in colour from pale yellow-green to olive-brown and they have white ridges under the cap.  

The Yellow-staining mushrooms 

The Yellow-staining mushroom is the most common cause of poisoning due to ingestion of wild fungi in Victoria. If ingested, symptoms include: stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. The severity of symptoms is dependent on the amount of mushroom consumed.  

The Yellow-staining mushroom looks very similar to ones purchased from stores and is also similar to edible wild mushrooms, such as field mushrooms. In urban areas the Yellow-staining mushroom is more common than the edible type wild mushroom (field mushrooms) and can grow in large amounts (troops) in lawns or gardens.  

If you are concerned that a poisonous mushroom has been consumed, do NOT wait for symptoms to occur before seeking medical attention.  

Contact the Victorian Poisons Information Centre immediately. 

Phone: 13 11 26 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Australia wide)  

If you can, take a photo or keep a sample of the mushroom that has been consumed. In some cases, this may help identify the type of mushroom consumed.

Extra Facts:

- Cooking, peeling or drying these mushrooms does NOT remove or inactive the poison.  

- Mushrooms purchased from a store are safe to eat.