MushieField mushroom vs Death cap: how to tell them apart
Young death caps are confused with button mushrooms. A death cap always has white gills and a sac-like cup at the base of the stem, which is usually buried. Always dig the entire mushroom up. A field mushroom has pink gills when young and chocolate-brown ones when mature.
Side-by-side comparison
 Agaricus campestris |  Amanita phalloides | |
|---|---|---|
| Safety status | Edible (expert ID) | Deadly |
| Cap | White, 3–10 cm, dry, smooth to finely scaly | Olive-green to yellow-green or pale, 5–15 cm, smooth, often with a faint radial fibre pattern |
| Underside | Pink when young, chocolate-brown when mature, never white | White gills, free from the stem |
| Stem | Short, white, with a thin, fragile ring | White, with a drooping skirt-like ring and a sac-like cup (volva) at the base, often hidden underground |
| Smell | Pleasant, mushroomy | Faint, sweetish; becomes sickly with age |
| Spore print | Dark brown | White |
| Habitat | Grazed pastures, meadows and lawns | Under oak, beech, chestnut and other broadleaf trees |
| Season | Aug – Oct | Aug – Nov |
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Archenzo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick tests that separate them
- Gills: white at every age (death cap) vs pink to brown (field mushroom).
- Base: a white sac or cup (death cap) vs plain, slightly bulbous base (field mushroom).
- Cap colour: olive-green to yellowish tints (death cap) vs pure white (field mushroom).
- Spore print: white (death cap) vs dark brown (field mushroom).
Key clues for each
Field mushroom: Pink gills in young specimens and chocolate-brown in old ones, and no yellow staining at the stem base or sac-like cup at the base.
Death cap: Always dig the whole mushroom out: a white sac (volva) at the base, a ring on the stem and white gills are the warning signs.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell field mushroom from death cap?
Young death caps are confused with button mushrooms. A death cap always has white gills and a sac-like cup at the base of the stem, which is usually buried. Always dig the entire mushroom up. A field mushroom has pink gills when young and chocolate-brown ones when mature.
Which is more dangerous, field mushroom or death cap?
Death cap (Amanita phalloides) is the dangerous one. Contains amatoxins. Symptoms can be delayed 6–24 hours, followed by liver and kidney failure. It causes the majority of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide.
Is it safe to identify mushrooms from photos or a website?
Never eat a wild mushroom based on an app or a website. Confirm identification and edibility in person with a qualified local expert.
Compare in the field
Photograph your find with Mushie to see possible matches and the look-alikes to rule out. Results are suggestions, never a safe-to-eat verdict.