Nordic mushrooms – get to know the species
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Destroying angel

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.

Facts and sources

Sources
Svampguiden; SLU Artdatabanken / Artfakta as an ongoing reference source
Factual text compiled and checked 2026-09-27