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Region · updated 12 November 2026
Mushroom season in London runs from late summer to late autumn and peaks in early to mid autumn. Right now a good flush is under way: look for bay bolete, parasol mushroom and brown birch bolete. Death cap grows in the same woods, so keep only what you are sure of and check the lookalike comparisons.
96%
Mycelium activity
Peak season
risingRain: 7 mm in 3 days, 8 mm in 7 dayssoil 9°C
Mushroom season in London runs from late summer to late autumn and peaks in early to mid autumn. Right now a good flush is under way: look for bay bolete, parasol mushroom and brown birch bolete. Death cap grows in the same woods, so keep only what you are sure of and check the lookalike comparisons.
Forager's notes · 12 November 2026
London's had modest rain over the past few weeks, a little above normal, but what stands out is how humid the air has stayed this week, well beyond what's typical. Soil remains mild at 8.6°C.
This combination is working strongly in your favour right now. Ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits should all be findable in parks, woodland edges and verges. An excellent weekend to get out searching.
233 species in our UK catalogue fruit in November. Check every find.
Bay boleteEdible
Parasol mushroomEdible
Honey fungusConditionally edible
Brown birch boleteEdible
Oyster mushroomEdible
Velvet shankEdibleIn Britain mushrooms follow the rain of two to four weeks earlier more than a shower this week. Switch the layers to rain, temperature or wind and zoom in on your wood.
* Data: Ventusky. Zoom in on the map to check your own forest area in detail.
London's richest fungus ground is its old woodland and parkland: Epping Forest in the north east and the Royal Parks, among them Richmond Park and Bushy Park. Epping Forest alone holds hundreds of rare and threatened fungi among its ancient beech, oak and hornbeam.
Picking fungi is not allowed in Epping Forest or in any of the Royal Parks: you can look and take photos, but leave the mushrooms where they grow. Elsewhere you need the landowner's permission.
Summer
The first boletes and chanterelles follow summer rain. A dry summer can hold the season back by weeks.
All summer mushrooms →Autumn
The main season, peaking in October. In the south of England it often runs into November.
All autumn mushrooms →Winter
Velvet shank, jelly ear and oyster mushrooms on dead wood during mild spells.
All winter mushrooms →Some of the UK's deadliest mushrooms look like edible ones. There is no antidote, and neither cooking nor drying makes them safe. If you suspect poisoning, call 999 or 112 at once.
England and Wales
Under the Theft Act 1968, picking wild mushrooms is not theft unless you pick them for sale, for reward or another commercial purpose. The Act only covers theft: landowners and local byelaws can still forbid picking, and four rare fungi are protected by law.
Is foraging legal in the UK? →Questions · 5
The season, where to look and what the rules are.
Not sure what you have found? Share a photo and the community will help identify it.
Identify from a photoOn 12 November 2026 mycelium activity in London is 96%, which means peak season. The index is recalculated every night from the weather of the last few weeks.
233 species in our UK catalogue fruit in November, among them bay bolete, parasol mushroom, brown birch bolete, oyster mushroom. Deadly species grow in the same woods, so keep only what you are sure of.
In Britain the clearest link is with rain two to four weeks earlier. A single shower after a dry spell rarely makes a difference; a wet week or two usually does.
England and Wales: Under the Theft Act 1968, picking wild mushrooms is not theft unless you pick them for sale, for reward or another commercial purpose. The Act only covers theft: landowners and local byelaws can still forbid picking, and four rare fungi are protected by law.
No. Epping Forest byelaws forbid removing fungi, and the City of London Corporation, which manages the forest, fines and prosecutes pickers.
London's recent rain has been moderate, around 62mm, slightly above normal, but what stands out is just how humid the air has stayed, well above typical levels for the time of year. Soil is still warm at 8.9°C, keeping conditions active.
This points to an excellent spell for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits in parks, commons and any pockets of mature woodland. Even in a city region, this is a weekend worth prioritising, conditions are genuinely strong right now.
London has seen slightly above average rain in the past few weeks, and the air has stayed a touch more humid than usual this week. Soil is mild at 9.1°C, with daytime temperatures still holding up nicely for November.
Conditions are good for this stage of autumn, so it's worth getting out for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits. A promising weekend, even if things will likely taper off from here.
London has had near-normal rain over the past few weeks and the air has stayed a touch damper than usual, with mild soil around 9.5°C keeping things ticking along nicely.
Late in the season but conditions remain favourable, so a decent outing is likely. Keep an eye out for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits in parks and woodland edges, especially where leaf litter has built up. A good weekend to get out.
London has seen a bit more rain than usual over the past couple of weeks, though the air has been slightly damper than normal too, and soil is still mild at 9.8°C as the season nears its latter stages.
Conditions are leaning in your favour, so it's a reasonable weekend to go looking. Keep an eye out for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits in parks and woodland edges with good leaf cover.
London has been a touch drier than usual over the past few weeks, though not dramatically so, and this week's air is close to normal humidity with soil holding steady around 10°C. Mild, settled conditions are keeping things ticking over nicely.
Autumn is well advanced here, so it's a good time to look for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits in parks, woodland edges and hedgerows with leaf cover. Conditions favour a productive outing, so it's worth setting aside proper time this weekend.