Stumped no More: Tree Identification for Mushroom Hunters
Date/Time
6/13/2026 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM Pacific
Event Type(s)
MSSF Workshop
Event Description
Registration for this event will start
at midnight, May 19
MSSF Tree Identification Workshop taught by Dr. Cat Adams, and Dr. Leah Taylor-Kearney
In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to recognize the California trees that shape where mushrooms grow. We’ll start with the big picture—why tree identification matters for foraging—by connecting common California trees to the fungi they host, from ectomycorrhizal partners like oaks, pines, and madrone to arbuscular-mycorrhizal hardwoods that support very different mushroom communities.
You’ll learn practical field clues for telling hardwood from softwood, distinguishing major conifer groups, and separating commonly confused broadleaf trees such as birch, maple, and oak. Along the way we’ll cover the features botanists actually use in the field:
bark color and texture
leaf arrangement and shape
cones, acorns, and other fruits
This is an interactive, specimen-based class. After the interactive lecture, we’ll provide leaves, cones, and fruits for a guided ID quiz so you can practice using diagnostic traits.
By the end, you’ll have a toolkit for quickly identifying common host trees and a clearer understanding of how fungal ecology can make you a faster, more accurate, and more successful mushroom hunter.
