Destroying angel
Amanita virosa
Deadly poisonous
How to identify it
Cap
Conical to bell-shaped, white and often becoming yellow to yellow-brown towards the centre with age.
Underside
Free, white gills.
Stem
White and rather slender, with a white ring and a large sac-like volva that may lie deep in the moss.
Smell
Weak when young; older specimens may smell sweetish, pungent and unpleasant.
Occurrence and habitat
Grows in moist and mossy coniferous forest throughout the country and also with beech in the south.
Preparation
See the species' safety and preparation instructions. Always prepare edible mushrooms according to a current, species-specific source; poisonous species must never be cooked in an attempt to make them edible.
Recipe suggestions
An editorial recipe will be added after the species' edibility and recommended preparation method have been verified.
Images – study the mushroom from several angles
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⚠ Important safety information
Dödligt giftig. Innehåller amatoxiner. Vita skivor tillsammans med volva och ring är varningskännetecken; smaka aldrig.
Dödligt giftig. Innehåller amatoxiner. Vita skivor tillsammans med volva och ring är varningskännetecken; smaka aldrig.
Facts and sources
Sources
Svampguiden; SLU Artdatabanken / Artfakta as an ongoing reference source
Svampguiden; SLU Artdatabanken / Artfakta as an ongoing reference source
Factual text compiled and checked 2026-09-27