Mushrooms of Polissia: Ukraine's richest foraging region

Ask foragers where in Ukraine you'll find the most mushrooms, and many will name Polissia without hesitation. This wooded region in the north of the country, with its pine forests, damp mixed woods, bogs and sandy soils, is a true mushroom kingdom. People come here for mushrooms by the basketful, and locals put them up for winter by the bucket.

Let's look at which mushrooms grow in Polissia, when the season is, and why the region is so generous with its harvest.

Why Polissia is so rich in mushrooms

Polissia's generosity comes from a combination of several natural conditions.

First, there are vast areas of pine and mixed forest here, the favorite habitat of many prized mushrooms. Second, the humid climate, bogs and shallow groundwater keep the forest litter moist even in dry spells. Third, the sandy soils of the pine forests are ideal for slippery jacks, porcini and chanterelles.

All of this together makes Polissia a region where mushrooms come up steadily and in abundance. For an overview of the region, see the pages for the Zhytomyr, Rivne and Volyn oblasts.

Which mushrooms grow here

A Polissia basket is a classic of Ukrainian mushroom cooking.

• **Porcini.** The pride of Polissia, especially the pine-forest porcini from the sandy pinewoods.
• **Slippery jack.** Grows in pine forests en masse, often in whole clearings.
• **Chanterelle.** The region's damp forests yield chanterelles in abundance all summer and autumn.
• **Saffron milk cap.** The classic mushroom of Polissia's conifer forests for salting.

They're joined by birch boletes, Xerocomus boletes, brittlegills and, in autumn, honey fungus. For what to pick each month, see the mushroom calendar.

When the season is in Polissia

Thanks to the moisture, the season here is long and steady.

The first slippery jacks and chanterelles appear as early as June, the peak falls in August–September, and the autumn flush of porcini and saffron milk caps lasts into October. The region's humid climate means that even in a dry summer Polissia suffers from drought less than other regions, so mushrooms show up here more often.

For the exact moment in a particular forest, check the mushroom radar, because even in a generous region it all comes down to rain and warmth.

What to watch out for

Polissia's forests have their own quirks worth keeping in mind.

1. Bogs and moisture. Many mushroom spots are near bogs. Wear suitable footwear and don't wade into quagmires.
2. It's easy to get lost. Vast, uniform pine forests are disorienting, so take your phone and note landmarks.
3. Radiation zones. Part of Polissia was affected by the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. In restricted zones you must not pick mushrooms, because they accumulate radionuclides.
4. Pick what you know. Polissia's mushrooms include dangerous ones too, so stick to the rules of safe foraging.

With these nuances in mind, Polissia will reward you with the fullest basket in Ukraine. And for a guide to dangerous species, keep our reference on poisonous mushrooms.

Sources

• “Key to the Fungi of Ukraine” (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
• Boletus edulis on GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
• Fungi on MycoBank, the international fungal nomenclature database.
• Polesia on Wikipedia.