TIP: Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus spp) can be found almost year-around in Illinois. Mushroom hunters find them growing on wood from early spring until winter. Summer varieties are often bone white and grow as individual, gilled caps on wood. Chilly-weather varieties tend to grow in clusters and might feature tan to dark-brown gilled caps. There are many species of fungi that grow on wood, including some deadly poisonous mushrooms.
And there are actually a few different species of mushrooms we commonly call Oyster Mushrooms. They’re easily cultivated, and you can even buy grow-your-own kits for different varieties. But it’s hard to beat what’s wild and free.
