When do honey mushrooms grow?

The main season is October–November in almost all of Italy. In rainy years it can start in September. In the South (Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia) the season extends to December–January.

Where are honey mushrooms found?

Honey mushrooms are found in virtually all Italian broadleaf forests. They grow on stumps, fallen logs and roots of oak, chestnut, beech and poplar. They are much more abundant in managed coppice forests than in old-growth forests.

Can honey mushrooms be eaten raw?

No. Honey mushrooms contain thermolabile toxins that are destroyed by thorough cooking (at least 15–20 minutes of boiling). They must never be consumed raw or undercooked.

Species

Honey Mushrooms

Armillaria mellea e specie affini

Guide to honey mushrooms (Armillaria mellea): where they grow, when to pick them and how to identify them. Habitat, season and forest map.

Season October–December. May start in September at high altitude or in particularly rainy years. In the South (Calabria, Sicily) the season extends to January.

Best regions

Tuscany Umbria Latium Abruzzo Campania

Honey mushrooms are among Italy's most abundant autumn mushrooms: they grow in dense clusters on stumps, fallen logs and roots of broadleaf trees, and in good years they cover entire forests. The Armillaria genus includes several cryptic species, virtually indistinguishable in the field, all edible after thorough cooking. Unlike porcini, honey mushrooms don't require precise weather conditions: just a good soaking and temperatures around 10–15°C. The season is typically autumn, with October–November as peak months across almost all the country.

Habitat

Stumps and decaying roots of broadleaf trees (oak, chestnut, beech, poplar). Occasionally on conifers. Growth in large compact clusters. Virtually omnipresent in broadleaf forests between 200 and 1200 metres.

How to identify honey mushrooms

Growth in dense clusters on dead wood or stumps
Ochre-brownish cap with dark scales at the centre
White to cream gills, decurrent on stem
Persistent white-yellowish membranous ring
Fibrous stem, often curved in clustered specimens

Similar species — pay attention

Galerina marginata: deadly poisonous, also grows on wood, smaller cap, thinner ring, rusty spores. Hypholoma fasciculare (sulphur tuft): clustered growth on wood, yellow-green cap, yellow-green then violet gills. Always check that gills are white, not yellow or greenish.

Where to look in Italy

Tuscany June–July Umbria September–November Latium September–November Abruzzo September–November Campania September–November Piedmont July–October Lombardy July–October Veneto July–October

Open the honey mushrooms map

Frequently asked questions about honey mushrooms

When do honey mushrooms grow?: The main season is October–November in almost all of Italy. In rainy years it can start in September. In the South (Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia) the season extends to December–January.
Where are honey mushrooms found?: Honey mushrooms are found in virtually all Italian broadleaf forests. They grow on stumps, fallen logs and roots of oak, chestnut, beech and poplar. They are much more abundant in managed coppice forests than in old-growth forests.
Can honey mushrooms be eaten raw?: No. Honey mushrooms contain thermolabile toxins that are destroyed by thorough cooking (at least 15–20 minutes of boiling). They must never be consumed raw or undercooked.

Other species

Porcini Boletus edulis Chanterelles Cantharellus cibarius Caesar's Mushroom Amanita caesarea Parasol Mushroom Macrolepiota procera Black Truffle Tuber melanosporum White Truffle Tuber magnatum Horn of Plenty Craterellus cornucopioides Morels Morchella esculenta Saffron Milk Cap Lactarius deliciosus Hedgehog Mushroom Hydnum repandum St. George's Mushroom Calocybe gambosa

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