Winter mushrooms of Ukraine that grow in the frost

Many people are sure that mushrooms end with the first snow. Not so: Ukraine has a few hardy species that fruit precisely in winter, in frosts and thaws. There aren't many, but there's almost no competition for them. Let's look at which winter mushrooms are worth knowing, where to look for them and whether they're safe to pick.

Why these mushrooms grow in winter

All winter mushrooms grow on trees, not on the ground, and that's no accident. Wood freezes through more slowly, and these species have adapted to fruiting in the cold: their growth only slows down, it doesn't stop. During thaws they spring back to life even from under the snow. Why the mushroom season doesn't really break off at all — see the article when the mushroom season ends.

Velvet shank (Flammulina)

The main winter mushroom is the velvet shank, or Flammulina. Its features:

a bright rusty-orange or honey-colored, shiny cap;
a velvety dark stem;
grows in clusters on trunks and stumps of deciduous trees (willow, poplar, maple).

Flammulina fruits from late fall to March and withstands real frosts — a frozen mushroom simply resumes growing during a thaw.

Oyster mushroom

The second winter mushroom is the oyster mushroom. It grows in overlapping “shingles” on trunks and has a gray-brown cap and firm white flesh. Oyster mushrooms fruit in late fall and in winter during thaws. More in the article oyster mushroom, a mushroom that grows even in winter.

Are winter mushrooms safe?

The winter season is also handy because these mushrooms have almost no poisonous lookalikes: by late fall and winter, most mushrooms are gone. Still, the usual rule applies — pick only what you've identified with confidence. How tree-growing mushrooms grow in general — see the piece edible mushrooms that grow on trees.

Sources

“Field Guide to the Fungi of Ukraine” (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
Flammulina velutipes in GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
Velvet shank on Wikipedia.

Frequently asked questions

Which mushrooms grow in Ukraine in winter?

The main winter mushrooms are the velvet shank (Flammulina) and the oyster mushroom. Both grow on trunks and stumps of deciduous trees and fruit in frosts and thaws.

Where should you look for winter mushrooms?

Not on the ground but on trees: on trunks and stumps of deciduous species — willow, poplar, maple. Velvet shank and oyster mushrooms grow in clusters, so if you find one, you'll find plenty.

Can you pick mushrooms in the frost?

Yes. Winter mushrooms withstand frost: their growth only slows down. A frozen mushroom thaws out during a thaw and keeps growing, so you can pick them even from the snow.

What does the velvet shank (Flammulina) look like?

It has a bright rusty-orange or honey-colored, shiny cap and a velvety dark stem. It grows in clusters on trunks of deciduous trees from late fall to March.

Do winter mushrooms have poisonous lookalikes?

In winter there are almost no dangerous lookalikes, because most mushrooms are already gone. Still, pick only the mushrooms you recognize with confidence by all their features.

Until what month do winter mushrooms grow?

Flammulina fruits from late fall right through to March, and the oyster mushroom in late fall and in winter during thaws. So the winter season flows smoothly into spring with the arrival of morels.

Why do winter mushrooms grow only on trees?

Because wood freezes through more slowly than soil and protects the mushrooms from the cold. Besides, these species feed on wood, breaking down dead trunks and stumps.