There are thousands of kinds of mushrooms. While some of them are edible and delicious, most can make you very sick, or even may kill you.

Fall is the biggest wild mushroom season. The rains and cool temperatures are perfect for their growth. After the first frost, there are few mushrooms to harvest until spring. Then, in Spring, mushrooms flourish again.

If you gather wild mushrooms, look at each mushroom very carefully. Be certain that it is the variety you are familiar with, and that it is safe. Many poisonous mushrooms look similar to edible ones. If you notice anything not familiar in a mushroom, do not eat it. Cooking mushrooms will not eliminate the toxins that can be dangerous.

Some very poisonous mushrooms that grow in Washington look very much like edible mushrooms that grow in Asia or other parts of the world. If you are used to picking wild mushrooms in other countries, please do NOT assume that the same safe varieties grow in this area even if they look similar.

There are only two ways to know if a wild mushroom is safe:

• Have it identified by an expert. In the Puget Sound area, call the Mycological (Mushroom) Society, which has members who are experts at identifying mushrooms at 206-522-6031.
• Buy it from a store or in a restaurant that has purchased it from experts. The King County Food Code requires stores and restaurants to "sell only food that is safe for human consumption."

If you believe you have eaten poisonous mushrooms, but are unsure, call Poison Control 1-800-222-1222. If you have eaten mushrooms and begin to feel ill, call your doctor or clinic. If the situation is urgent or life-threatening, call 911.