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Poisonous Wild Mushrooms
If you or someone you know has eaten a poisonous mushroom, immediately seek medical care and call the
California Poison Control Hotline at
1-800-222-1222. The hotline can tell you exactly what to do in case of a mushroom poisoning. They also provide guidance to medical providers to ensure proper care.
The hotline is FREE and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 200 languages.
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Timeframe
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Cases Reported
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Counties with Hospitalizations
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Languages Spoken (known)
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Nov 18, 2025 – May 19, 2026
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50 cases
(4 deaths)
(at least 4 liver transplants)
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Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Monterey, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Yuba
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Spanish, Mam (indigenous Mayan language), Mixteco (indigenous language in Mexico), Chinese (Mandarin), Ukrainian, Russian, and English
Note: Among those who reported a preferred language, the majority identified Spanish as their preferred language.
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Dangers of picking and eating wild mushrooms
Poisonous wild mushrooms grow in many parts of California, especially after periods of rain. They can appear in neighborhoods and parks, and not just wilderness areas. Two of the most toxic mushrooms are the
Death Cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) and the
Western Destroying Angel mushroom (Amanita ocreata).
From November 2025 through May 2026, California has experienced an unprecedented outbreak of illness, liver failure, and deaths from people accidently picking and eating Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel mushrooms. These highly toxic mushrooms are growing in unusually large numbers - and appearing in parts of California where they are not commonly found. This year, Death Caps have persisted beyond their typical growing season.
These toxic mushrooms can look and taste similar to safe-to-eat mushrooms. They can even resemble mushrooms sold in grocery stores, depending on their lifecycle stage. Newly arrived persons to California may mistake poisonous local mushrooms for safe-to-eat mushrooms that were foraged or cultivated in their home country. Even experienced foragers sometimes have difficulty distinguishing these toxic mushrooms from safe varieties. Mushroom hunters and foragers in California face serious risk.
Toxic Mushrooms at Different Stages of Growth During their Lifecycle
Death Cap Mushrooms
(Amanita phalloides)
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Western Destroying Angel Mushrooms
(Amanita ocreata)
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How to stay safe
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The best way to stay safe is to not eat wild mushrooms.
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Avoid eating wild mushrooms picked by friends or family.
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Watch children closely when they play outside where wild mushrooms grow.
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Keep pets away from wild mushrooms - animals can be poisoned too.
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Buy mushrooms from trusted grocery stores and retailers. Take care when buying mushrooms from street vendors.
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Cooking, boiling, freezing or drying poisonous mushrooms does not make them safe to eat.
Symptoms of mushroom poisoning
- Symptoms may not appear until 6 to 24 hours after eating a poisonous mushroom.
- Mild symptoms (even mild nausea) can be the beginning of a more severe reaction. Sometimes early symptoms go away within a day BUT serious to fatal liver damage can still develop within 2 to 3 days.
- Seek help immediately if you or someone you know has eaten a poisonous mushroom. Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Treatment is more difficult once symptoms start.
Common early symptoms include (but are not limited to):
- Stomach pain
- Cramping
- Diarrhea
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- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Drop in blood pressure
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Mushroom poisoning can lead to serious complications, including:
The North American Mycological Association has additional information on mushroom poisoning syndromes.
What to do if you may have eaten a poisonous mushroom
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Immediately seek medical care and call the California Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222 if you or someone you know may have eaten a poisonous mushroom. The hotline can tell you exactly what to do in the case of a mushroom poisoning. They also provide guidance to medical providers to help ensure proper care. The hotline is FREE and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 200 languages.
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When you go to the hospital: Take any of the uneaten mushroom with you if you can. Experts can identify the mushroom, which can help with your medical care. To preserve the mushroom, place it in a paper bag or waxed paper (not plastic) and refrigerate. If you don't have the mushroom, photos of the mushroom (including its cap, stem, and underside) can be helpful.
How to dispose of poisonous mushrooms
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How to handle poisonous mushrooms: Touching a poisonous mushroom usually does not pose a risk. But always wash your hands after you touch one.
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How to dispose of poisonous mushrooms: Put the poisonous mushroom into a sealed bag and place them into the regular garbage. Alternatively, you can place them into the municipal compost bin. Do not place poisonous mushrooms in home compost.
Educational materials
Help spread awareness in communities where Death Cap or Western Destroying Angel mushrooms may grow. Display our posters and flyers in places where people commonly gather:
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This Poisonous Mushroom Poster is available in two sizes:
This poster contains QR codes that link to 1) flyers in eight languages - see flyers below, and 2) a
video in Mixteco (a primarily oral, non-written language). Note: The poster does not include a QR code to our flyer in English.
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This Poisonous Mushroom Flyer is available in the following languages:
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This video PSA is available in English, Spanish, and Mixteco (on YouTube).
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The California Poison Control System has resources in multiple languages, including social media content and video shorts in
English, Spanish,
Tagalog (Filipino),
Vietnamese, and
Chinese.
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Additional Resources
Pets and poisonous mushrooms:
Medical providers and veterinarians should consider reporting a mushroom poisoning:
National data on mushroom poisonings: