May 3, 2009 - May Morels

Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

Hidden among leaves and pine needles, surrounded by a somewhat mystical aura, grows a fungal treasure, the morel mushroom. Morels are highly prized among mushroom hunters and gourmet cooks for their unique flavor. Standing two to four inches high, these tan to dark brown mushrooms have a honeycombed, hollow cap. However, the false morel can be confused with true morels with disastrous results: false morels are toxic. The somewhat mystical nature of morels results from their elusive growth. After several years of growing in a particular spot, they might fail to appear for no apparent reason at all. Then there are years when they seem to grow everywhere. Just as with other plants, soil and air temperatures as well as soil moisture influence the seasonal growth of wild morels. We have only to discover what this year will bring.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.