Leccinum aurantiacum: The Aspen Bolete of Tuscany
- 27 March 2026
- Mycology
You find it at the base of an aspen—orange-red cap against pale leaf litter.
You cut it open. The flesh is white and firm.
You set it down and move a …
Truffle Hunting in Tuscany: What to Know Before You Book
- 10 March 2026
- Mycology
Truffle hunting is one of the most searched nature experiences in Tuscany.
Type the words into any travel platform and you will find hundreds of …
Armillaria Mellea: Tuscany's Most Complicated Mushroom
- 9 March 2026
- Mycology
Most mushrooms fit neatly into a category.
A porcini is mycorrhizal—it lives in partnership with trees. A black trumpet is saprotrophic—it feeds on …
Bracken Fern in Tuscany: A Sign of Porcini Country
- 8 March 2026
- Trees and flora, Mycology
There is a plant you will encounter on almost every forest walk in Tuscany.
It lines trail edges. It fills meadow clearings. It colonises hillsides …
Mushrooms of Acquerino: A Seasonal Forager's Guide
- 15 February 2026
- Mycology
The Acquerino reserve is one of the most mycologically rich landscapes I work in regularly—a mosaic of beech, oak, chestnut, and fir creating …
Birch Bolete (Leccinum Scabrum): Rare in Tuscany
- 6 February 2026
- Mycology
In the forests of Northern Europe—Scandinavia, the Baltic states, Russia—Leccinum scabrum is so common that foragers almost take it for granted.
In …
Yellow Stagshorn Fungus: Not a Chanterelle
- 6 February 2026
- Mycology
During autumn hikes through Riserva Acquerino, among the more familiar mushrooms fruiting in the beech and pine forests, there’s one that stops …
Porcelain Fungus: A Translucent Mushroom on Beech
- 5 February 2026
- Mycology
During autumn hikes through Riserva Acquerino, when the beech forests turn golden and the air carries that distinctive scent of decay and renewal, …
Scaly Mushroom With Raised Scales: Pholiota Squarrosa
- 4 February 2026
- Mycology
While mushroom hunters often focus on the prized edibles, some of Tuscany’s most visually striking fungi are those we admire rather than …
Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis Crispa) in Tuscany
- 3 February 2026
- Mycology
After hundreds of hikes through Tuscan forests, there are still mushrooms that stop me in my tracks.
Sparassis crispa—the cauliflower mushroom, or …
Chanterelles in Tuscany: Hunting the Golden Mushroom
- 3 February 2026
- Mycology
Among the many fungi that grace Tuscany’s forests, few inspire as much enthusiasm among foragers as Cantharellus cibarius—known locally as …
Tinder Fungus: The Mushroom Ötzi Had 5000 Years Ago
- 1 February 2026
- Mycology
Not every mushroom I encounter during my hikes through Tuscan forests ends up in a basket destined for the kitchen.
Some mushrooms tell stories that …
Lycoperdon Perlatum: The Puffball That Tastes Like Crab
- 30 January 2026
- Mycology
Walk through almost any Tuscan forest in autumn and you’ll see them: small, white, pear-shaped mushrooms scattered across the forest floor like …
Can You Hunt Mushrooms Freely in Tuscany? What You Need to Know
- 28 January 2026
- Mycology
Every autumn, I receive emails from visitors planning trips to Tuscany with the same question: “Can I go mushroom hunting freely in the …
The One Mushroom Book I Still Recommend After Years of Foraging
- 28 January 2026
- Mycology
When friends and customers hear about my passion for mycology, they inevitably ask the same question: “Where did you start? Which book should I …