Nordic mushrooms – get to know the species
SvenskaNorskDeutschEnglish
← Back to all mushrooms
St. George's mushroom

St. George's mushroom

Calocybe gambosa
Edible
★★★★☆
Taste rating: 4 out of 5

How to identify it

Cap
The cap is whitish to cream-coloured, sometimes beige, initially convex and later expanded. The edge may be slightly inrolled.
Underside
The gills are white to cream-white, crowded and notched at the stem.
Stem
The stem is stout, whitish and solid, without a ring.
Smell
Strong, floury and characteristic smell.

Occurrence and habitat

Grows on the ground in grassland, meadows, deciduous forest and woodland edges. It often appears in fairy rings and early in the season.

Look-alike species

These mushrooms can resemble St. George's mushroom. Look closely at features, habitat and images to see the differences.

Silky blewit
Silky blewit
Tricholoma columbetta
★★★★★
Good edible mushroom

The silky blewit is white and silky-fibrous, but has a different growing season and often a different smell. The spring blewit has a very characteristic mealy smell.

Read more about Silky blewit ›

Preparation

Clean and cut away the dirty base of the stem. Fry thoroughly in butter. Its strong flavour also works well in sauces and stews.

Recipe suggestions

St. George's mushroom on toast: fry sliced mushrooms with shallot in butter. Add cream, black pepper and parsley and serve on toasted sourdough bread.

Images – study the mushroom from several angles

Click an image to display it as the main image.

⚠ Important safety information

Den mjöliga lukten och tidiga växtsäsongen är viktiga kännetecken, men säker artbestämning krävs alltid.

Facts and sources

Sources
Svampguiden; SLU Artdatabanken/Artfakta.
Batch 12 supplemented – should be finally checked against a