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Field mushroom or St George's mushroom

How they differ, how to recognize them and which is more dangerous — a mushroom comparison

The short answer

Field mushroom and St George's mushroom are similar species that can be mixed up while foraging. The main visible difference: season: Field mushroom — spring, summer, autumn, St George's mushroom — spring. The mushrooms also differ in the following features: use, size, cap shape.

Field mushroom (Agaricus campestris)

Field mushroom

Agaricus campestris

EdibleExpert-verified
St George's mushroom (Calocybe gambosa)

St George's mushroom

Calocybe gambosa

EdibleExpert-verified

📊 Comparing characteristics

Comparison of characteristics: Field mushroom and St George's mushroom
Edibility class

Field mushroom

Edible

St George's mushroom

Edible
Season

Field mushroom

SpringSummerAutumn

St George's mushroom

Spring
Use

Field mushroom

CulinaryCook freshFreezing

St George's mushroom

Cook freshDryingPickling
Size

Field mushroom

Medium (5–15 cm)

St George's mushroom

Large (over 15 cm)
Cap color

Field mushroom

WhiteCream

St George's mushroom

WhiteCream
Cap shape

Field mushroom

ConvexFlat

St George's mushroom

Convex
Cap surface

Field mushroom

DrySmooth

St George's mushroom

Smooth
Taste

Field mushroom

Mild

St George's mushroom

Mild
Smell

Field mushroom

Pleasant, mushroomyAnise

St George's mushroom

Floury
Flesh color change

Field mushroom

Reddening

St George's mushroom

No change
Hymenophore

Field mushroom

Gilled

St George's mushroom

Gilled
Stem

Field mushroom

CentralSolid

St George's mushroom

Central
Ring (veil)

Field mushroom

Ring present

St George's mushroom

No ring
Volva

Field mushroom

No volva

St George's mushroom

No volva
Substrate

Field mushroom

Soil

St George's mushroom

Soil
Nutrition type

Field mushroom

Saprotroph

St George's mushroom

Saprotroph

📅 Seasonality

Field mushroom

Fruiting season

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

May – October

St George's mushroom

Fruiting season

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

April – June

🔬 Morphology

Cap

Field mushroom

Cap 5–15 cm across, spherical in young mushrooms, then flat or slightly umbonate. The surface is white or slightly creamy and cracks in dry weather. Fibrous scales may appear as it matures. The margin is inrolled at first, then straight.

St George's mushroom

The cap is 5-15 cm across (large, fleshy); when young it is hemispherical with an inrolled margin, with age becoming flat-convex, and in old specimens flat and spread out with a wavy margin. The skin is smooth, dry and matte in wet weather, with a fine felty fibrousness. Color: creamy white, ochre-cream, with a faint brownish tint at the center; in old specimens creamy ochre. The margin is even — inrolled when young, wavy and irregular when old.

Hymenophore

Field mushroom

Gills free (not reaching the stem), crowded, delicate pink at first, then bright pink, and chocolate-brown or blackish in mature mushrooms. The pink color of the gills is a key safety feature that distinguishes the field mushroom from poisonous species with white gills.

St George's mushroom

Lamellate hymenophore: the gills are notched (emarginate) at the stem, very crowded, thin, fleshy. Color: pure white to creamy white, with no pink or green tint — a diagnostic feature (it sets the mushroom apart from the poisonous Entoloma sinuatum, whose gills turn pink). Spore print white.

Stem

Field mushroom

Stem 4–8 cm tall, 1–2 cm thick, cylindrical, solid, straight. White in color. A characteristic firm membranous ring in the middle of the stem. No volva.

St George's mushroom

The stem is 3-7 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick — much shorter and thicker than the cap is wide (hence gambosa — "short-legged"). Cylindrical, thickening toward the base, firm, fleshy. Color: white to creamy white. Surface: smooth, with fine lengthwise fibers in the lower part. No ring.

Flesh

Field mushroom

Flesh firm, white, turns slightly pink when cut or stays unchanged. It does not turn yellow (yellowing is a sign of poisonous species). The taste is pleasant and richly mushroomy.

St George's mushroom

The flesh is very firm, fleshy, pure white. It does not change color when cut. Smell: distinctly mealy, sharp and characteristic (like freshly milled flour or dough); taste sweetish and nutty, with no bitterness.

Smell

Field mushroom

Smell pronounced, anise-almond with mushroomy notes. This is one of the most aromatic wild mushrooms. With cooking the aroma intensifies and can dominate the dish.

St George's mushroom

Distinctly mealy, like freshly milled flour or raw dough — a diagnostic feature, easy to notice on a cut surface.

📍 Habitats

Field mushroom

MeadowField

St George's mushroom

Deciduous forestMixed forest

👀 Similar mushrooms — don't mix them up!

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can Field mushroom and St George's mushroom be mixed up?
Yes, they look so similar that people often mix them up. The season, use, size help tell them apart.
How to tell Field mushroom from St George's mushroom?
The main differences: season: Field mushroom — spring, summer, autumn, St George's mushroom — spring; use: Field mushroom — culinary, cook fresh, freezing, St George's mushroom — cook fresh, drying, pickling; size: Field mushroom — medium (5–15 cm), St George's mushroom — large (over 15 cm). The full table of characteristics is higher up on this page.
Is St George's mushroom edible?
St George's mushroom — edible.
When do Field mushroom and St George's mushroom grow?
Field mushroom — May–October; St George's mushroom — April–June.

Sources

  • [1]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
  • [2]GBIF
  • [3]Вікіпедія (українська)
  • [4]MycoBank Database
  • [5]Index Fungorum
  • [6]iNaturalist Ukraine