Is one of the world’s deadliest mushrooms found in Utah?
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A recent post in an online forum claimed a user had found one of the world’s deadliest mushrooms in various parts of Salt Lake City.
Specifically, the user said they had found a mushroom commonly called a destroying angel — and Bryn Dentinger, an associate professor in the plant biology department at the University of Utah, told ABC4.com that a destroying angel is one of the deadliest types of mushrooms in the world.
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So, should Utahns be worried about finding a deadly mushroom in their yard or around Utah cities? Dentinger said no.
“At the moment, there is no record of destroying angels in Utah,” Dentinger said.
Dentinger said the user who posted about the mushroom incorrectly identified the mushroom as a destroying angel — what the user found was actually a mushroom more commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling.
An image of Leucoagaricus leucothites (commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling). The mushroom has visual similarities to a toxic mushroom, but white dapperlings are not toxic. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) An image of Amanita virosa (commonly known as a destroying angel). The mushroom has visual similarities to a benign mushroom, but destroying angels are among the deadliest mushrooms in the world. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) An image of Leucoagaricus leucothites (commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling). The mushroom has visual similarities to a toxic mushroom, but white dapperlings are not toxic. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) An image of Amanita virosa (commonly known as a destroying angel). The mushroom has visual similarities to a benign mushroom, but destroying angels are among the deadliest mushrooms in the world. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger)
Dentinger provided photos of white dapperlings (or Leucoagaricus leucothites) and destroying angels (identified in the photos as Amanita virosa).
Dentinger said there’s not much of a visual difference between the mushrooms. The most obvious distinction is the fact that a destroying angel (and other mushrooms of the Amanita family) would have a cup at the base.
While there are no current reports of destroying angels in Utah — or any other deadly mushrooms in the Amanita family like the death cap — Dentinger said it’s not impossible for them to show up.
Should I be worried about poisonous mushrooms in my yard?
“There are very few poisonous mushrooms in Utah that grow in people’s lawns,” Dentinger said.
Dentinger said if you find a mushroom and think it might be deadly, you should reach out to the Mushroom Society of Utah — or use other online resources such as iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer — for help identifying the mushroom.
While some people on the online forum expressed concerns about children or pets eating potentially poisonous mushrooms, Dentinger advised parents and owners to keep a closer eye on those populations.
“If you are concerned about the mushrooms in your yard, you can go pick them and remove them — that’s not going to take the fungus out of the soil, because the mushroom is really just like a flower or a fruit,” Dentinger said.
Dentinger also said getting rid of mushrooms is hard without the use of harsh chemicals, which he advised against. He said some types of mushrooms are in the sod and help enrich the soil by decomposing dead roots and other dead plant material.
Plus, Dentinger said he would not recommend eating mushrooms that grow in the city for several reasons — including the fact that mushrooms absorb herbicides and pesticides, and even heavy metals.
Are there poisonous mushrooms in Utah?
Dentinger said there are, in fact, mushrooms in Utah that could have the same poisonous effects as a destroying angel or death cap mushroom.
If consumed, destroying angel mushrooms can cause dysfunction of the kidney or the liver before causing death, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. One of the mushrooms in Utah that can cause similar effects is called Galerina autumnalis, and Dentinger provided an example of what that mushroom may look like (seen in the photo below).
While these deadly mushrooms are found in the Beehive State, Dentinger said those mushrooms are “something that people are unlikely to collect and eat.”
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