Morel Mushrooms

Discussion in 'Fungi, Lichens and Slime Molds' started by bonnpopp, May 17, 2010.

  1. bonnpopp

    bonnpopp Member

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    Does anyone know if Morels grow only at certain elevations. If so what elevation is best? I would appreciate any information anyone can provide on finding these mushrooms in the Kootenays. Thanks.
     
  2. ChefAdamBarski

    ChefAdamBarski Member

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    I'm trying to conduct some research to find information for you, since I don't know myself, but am interested in this as well..

    And I'm NOT finding a lot on any elevation information, although I did find this:

    "Ecology: Mycorrhizal and saprobic at different points in its life cycle; found under hardwoods and conifers; known for associations with ash, as well as other trees; often appearing in conifer burn sites in western North America in the year following the burn; spring ******(or summer at high elevation in the West)******; widely distributed in North America."

    That is a quote from the morel forum. [EDIT] Which in turn was taken from Mushroom Expert [/EDIT]
    I could not find a lot of information just searching google and/or wikipedia, so I found this forum site and searched the word "elevation" and came up with ONLY one match. Which was this ^ ..


    My personal conclusion to the quick research I just conducted, is that elevation is not Necessarily as important as the many other near "perfect" conditions the spores require to grow. It probably just so happens that these conditions are more likely to be on certain mountain areas.
     
  3. bonnpopp

    bonnpopp Member

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    Thank you, it does seem difficult to find good information as to where morels grow. The "other" conditions do appear to be more relevant in locating the mushrooms.
     
  4. MycoRob

    MycoRob Active Member

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    yellow morels or black ones? We were finding Yellows at 5,000 feet ASL 2 weeks ago and they're up to 6000 ft now - always around narrow leaf cottonwood trees. Blacks start in 3 weeks at 6,000 feet and then go up to 11,000 feet until July 4th, moving up 1000 feet a week, more or less - always around aspen. They grow under different trees in different parts of the country, but since you're asking about elevation you might live in a mountainous region like me. let me know if you have any other specific questions.

    Here, where we have warm temps and morels at 5k to 6k feet down in the valley, and 1 feet of snow at 9K feet, elevation is one of the most important things. Morels come up when the ground temp is ~ 50 degrees, I take a thermometer with me and check when i hunt morels. Lower than 50 degrees, I just go down in elevation 500 feet and check again, then start looking for them.
     
  5. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    A few were found here at the UBC Botanical Garden around a month ago. We are just a bit above sea level.
     
  6. bonnpopp

    bonnpopp Member

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    It seems that ground temp. is an important factor. The temp. should be approximately 53 Fahrenheit.
     
  7. vancook604

    vancook604 Member

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    For here in the lower mainland do morels grow on the coastal mountains or local areas? Most forays I've seen are up past Whistler....And are burn morels more common for foragers here?
    I'm always looking for people to go on forays with...if anyone ever wants to share some knowledge or vice versa
     
  8. Frog

    Frog Generous Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Hi VanCook,

    The Van Myco Society had a foray last weekend for morels that I'm told was successful: The next VMS meeting is this Tuesday if you want to talk to folks about it.

    In my experience, burn site morels are so much more prolific than "naturals" that for us busy urban types it is more efficient to hunt for the former from a harvesting point of view: Thus going out of town where the wildfires happen.

    The naturals seem to grow whereever they please - one year they were allover the vacant lots in the downtown eastside! People have many signposts and phenological rules to suggest, some I've seen do seem to be true, but I don't think anyone has really pinned down what habitat the "naturals" like.

    I have found them in conjunction with Calypso orchids, which appears to relate to seasonal timing and perhaps the areas in the forest of less canopy cover, semi clearings. I've not found them in the forests immediately adjacent or in the lower mainland, but I have found them along the Fraser river amongst the Cottonwoods. However, their camouflage is quite amazing, so I realize I may have overlooked them in some habitats.

    cheers,
    frog
     
  9. vancook604

    vancook604 Member

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    Thanks for the info Frog, I was hoping to have gone on that foray last weekend with the Vanmyco group....but unfortunately I had to work for half the weekend.

    Hopefully on my next long weekend I can make a trip up before the season ends
     

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