A Foraging We Will Go: Mushroom Hunting in Michigan

Spring has sprung! Everywhere you look, flowers are blooming.

But not all that glitters is the blossom of a tree or plant. Amongst all those blooms, you may also spy a mysterious mushroom.

While they may not have the classic beauty of a spring blossom, they can certainly offer the variety in color, texture and shape you would expect when enjoying spring buds. Harvesting flowers can bring a smile to your dining room centerpiece, but don’t dismiss the benefits of harvesting wild mushroom blooms, too!

Mushrooms 101

Let’s start at the beginning. What are mushrooms anyway? The big picture answer is that mushrooms are the fruiting part of fungi, and there are thousands of different kinds of fungi throughout the world.

Getting a little bit deeper into that definition: some fungi devour dead material, assisting the natural world with decomposition; some eat live material; some assist with getting nutrients to the roots of trees; and all mushrooms connect to the highway of mycelium running under the earth.   

There are over 50 varieties of edible mushrooms in Michigan, including dryad’s ears, chicken of the woods, puffballs and golden oyster, but the star of the show is undoubtably the morel. The most common in Michigan is the white morel.

Where Do I Find Mushrooms? 

These mushrooms are known for their relationship with trees, so before looking down to the earth to begin your search, look up at the trees. As Frank Hyman says in his book How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying, "Being a good morel hunter is being a good tree hunter.”

According to the Department of Natural Resources, “morel mushrooms often are found in locations where sizable fires (more than 10 acres) occurred the previous year. The mushrooms will only grow where there is a forested cover type; grass or other ground covers will not yield morels.” Warm and wet are the best growing conditions.

If the thought of figuring out your local “goldilocks zone”—where everything is just right—is overwhelming, the DNR has made it easy for you by providing a Michigan morel map.

If your area isn’t on the map and you want to start your foraging adventure closer to home, be on the lookout for apple, pear, cottonwood and aspen trees. Their roots are well known for attracting the delicious morel mushroom.

The Elusive Hunt 

Let's say you've found these trees. It’s May, it’s wet, and you still haven’t seen any mushrooms. Well, no one said it would be easy, or even fair. You may spend hours hunting for morels, only to be denied entry into this exclusive club. You may be wandering your backyard and stumble upon one.

As much as we like to attach strategy and understanding to the hunt for morels, part of the magic is that we just don’t know exactly why they grow where they grow. Enjoy the journey. If you can’t find any, keep an eye open at your local farmers’ markets and get there early. Mushroom vendors often sell out quickly.

If you do happen to find a mushroom out in the wild, always have it identified by an expert or train yourself to identify it. Many wild mushrooms have poisonous look-alikes. Thankfully, morels are one of the varieties that are pretty easy to identify. Check out any of these resources to learn more or find an expert.

Books

The Forager's Harvest by Samuel Thayer. Written by an internationally recognized authority on edible wild plants.

How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying by Frank Hyman. Written by a professional mushroom hunter, this book has eye-catching photographs.

Midwest Foraging by Lisa M. Rose. Great for identifying mushrooms in your own Michigan backyard.

Mushroom Foraging & Feasting by Victoria Romanoff. Recommended for its in-depth information and beautiful photographs.

Southeastern MI Classes and Events

Michigan Folk School – Wild mushroom identification workshops in Chelsea, MI.

Will Forage for Food – A home base for Southeast MI, offering workshops, classes and foraging inspiration.

Great Lakes Foragers Gathering – June 18-21, 2026 in Brooklyn, MI.

Michigan Mushroom Hunters – This group hosts events from Northville to Shelby Township, and even down to Toledo, OH. Check out their website for up-to-date information on their classes and workshops.

Midwest American Mycological Information (MAMI) – Working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), MAMI offers a workshop program that, if successfully completed, will qualify you as an expert mushroom identifier who can lawfully broker select wild-foraged Michigan mushrooms.

Online Resources and Articles

• The Complete Guide to Morel Mushrooms, article from Shroomer.
• Forager’s Harvest, Samuel Thayer’s website, mostly based in Wisconsin.
• Michigan’s Morel Mushroom Season: Where to Find Them and How to Identify Them, article from Bridge Michigan.
• Morel Mushroom Identification: What to Look for and What to Avoid, article from Mushroom Appreciation.

Social Media Resources

Michigan Mushroom Hunters – This Facebook group is very active and organized.

Will Forage for Food – This Facebook group shares the joy of foraging for mushrooms and other local, seasonal harvests.