Types of Morels

Morels are roughly cone-shaped, with a cap almost as wrinkled as a brain, intricately indented, and with a light-colored, sinewy-looking stalk. They’ve been called the mushroom that resembles a “sponge on a stick”. Morels are most prolific in the U.S., though they can also be found in Russia, Australia, China, Romania, England, Pakistan and France. Morels grow in every state, every Canadian province and most countries throughout the world.

What We See is the Fruit of the Mushroom
The morel, the part of the mushoom that we see about ground, is the “fruit”, the reproductive part of the mushroom; the main portion is a fibrous mat that resides underground, called the mycelium. The pitted cap of the morel bears spores, which help ensure reproduction. When spores fall to the ground, they germinate to grow the mycelium and hyphae, which are tendrils that reach to the surface for nutrients and that produce the morel.

The hyphae extend from the underground nutrient warehouse, or sclerotia, which is about the size of a potato.  Recent studies conclude that it takes approximately five years for morels to grow. The late Larry Lonik recommended that “. . . if you have good luck in a spot in the year 2000, mark your calendar to return to that spot in 2005.”

True and False Morels

There are two types of morels: 

• True morels and 

• False morels.

And there’s only one type of morel you should ever eat: True morels. 

But if morels taste so good, why can’t you eat False morels? Because you might die! False morels contain a poison called MMH, or monmethylhydrazine, which is a chemical also found in rocket fuel. As mycologist (“mushroom scientist”) Nancy Smith Weber said in her book  "A Morel Hunter's Companion", "It will not put you in orbit, but it might land you in the hospital." (Or worse, in the cemetery!)

Some common names of False morels include Beefsteak Morel, Red Morel, Elephant Ear, Brown Bonnet, Snow Mushroom, Snow Bank Morel, Walnut and Bull Nose.

There are three types of True morels: 

• Black, 

• Yellow and 

• Half Free.

All three are hollow with off-white colored stems.

Black Morels

Of the three, Black morels sprout earliest. The Black morel’s common names include Early morels and Grey morels. Some people also call them Burn-Over morel, Narrow-Capped morel, Witch’s Cap or Johnny Jump-Up. (We won’t bore you with the scientific names!) Black morels can be gray when they first sprout, and they grow to be from one-half inch to more than one foot tall. Black morels cause allergic reactions more often than the other two types, including an upset stomach and loss of muscle coordination, which is exacerbated by consuming alcohol; first-time eaters should take only a few bites and avoid alcohol.

Yellow Morels

Yellow morels are also called White morels, Sponge mushroom, Gray morels or Brain mushrooms. They are also sometimes called Honeycombs, Sponges or Domes. They can range from whitish to yellow to gray to honey brown. Like Black morels, they can also grow to be a foot tall. They sprout last of the three types. They are probably most prized of the three for their flavor and texture. Yellow morels can grow to be huge, with a very thick stem; some experts classify them separately and call them Giant morels, Big Foots or Thick Footed morels. However, some mycologists have concluded that this fungus is simply a larger variety of the common morel.

Half Free Morels 

Half Free morels are visually distinct from Black and Yellow morels in that their heads are quite small. Also, caps of Blacks and Yellows are attached to the stem at their bottom, whereas the Half Free cap is attached at about the middle. In other words, if you slice one in half lengthwise, you’ll see that the attachment of the cap to the stem leaves about half of the cap hanging, or “half free.” Half Free morels are also called Peckerheads or Cows Heads. Half Free mushrooms sprout after the Blacks appear and continue into Yellow season.