Description
Mushrooms of Cascadia is a book for every mushroomer — from beginners to professionals alike. Everything you need to learn to recognize and identify mushrooms across the Pacific Northwest lies within these pages. Featuring comprehensive coverage of common and conspicuous species, delicious edibles and toxic look-alikes, and rarities and regional specialties, this user-friendly reference covers the whole spectrum of macrofungal diversity in the American northwest.
With fully-illustrated treatments of over 750 species and references to hundreds more, tips on mushroom collecting, descriptions of habitats and bioregions, and up-to-date taxonomy, this book represents the state of the art. Each species profile features stunning photography combined with an in-depth description, as well as notes on ecology, edibility, toxicity, and similar species.
Cin Thomas –
Super excited to get to see this book! I’ve been looking forward to it ever since I found out they were writing one specifically for us in the PNW, and I am not disappointed.
One of my concerns was how species that are found in both “Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast” and “Mushrooms of Cascadia” were going to be handled. Happily, I can report that almost all of the duplicate species have a different picture, so if you have the other book, this one seems totally worthwhile to have as well. The more samples you can see, the better, plus the ecology is different here and I was also pleased to see that the ecology sections for each entry have been modified for this area. The new photos represent that beautifully as well. One of the best things about the large, full color images is that each one shows different stages of growth, angles, and many with cross sections as well. There are many, many species that are not part of Redwood Coast that are specific to our region included in this edition that I am excited to be able to look up, being as their first book has been my primary go-to resource even though I live in Oregon. There are no other references that have the amount of information that Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz have compiled: from detailed physical descriptions to microscopy information, chemical reactions, edibility, and the invaluable Comments section for each that describe common look-alikes and how to tell the differences.
It looks like the physical version is going to be about the same width, but about an inch taller and significantly thicker…all good with those changes! The basic organization is similar to Redwood Coast, so you wont be lost if you are used to the rough placement of things. The typeface is larger and easier to read as well. I do kind of miss the red headings for Gills, Stipe, etc. but that is a minor quibble. I’m liking the layout with the sections listed in colored tabs in the margin for quick flipping.
This is a must-have for beginners and experienced foragers alike. If I have to bring just one mushroom book out on a foray, this will be it. Redwood Coast is going to get a well deserved rest. Thank you for writing Mushrooms of Cascadia for us!!!
Matt Mathiason –
Wonderful images and descriptions! This will be THE guide to PNW mushrooms for years to come.
Miranda Brocki –
For a newcomer to fungi ID who lives in far away Southern California, it is an excellent resource and a worthwhile purchase. While exhaustive it is nonetheless a perfect introduction being both deep and clear like an old river. The first part of the book gives an overview of the territory and defines how they use the term Cascadia. Very useful in planning my road trip and choosing the best time for maximal fruiting body viewing. The balance of the book lays out learning to identify the mushrooms though I wouldn’t consider eating any of them without going out with some experienced folk, probably a lot. The way this second section is set out and the delightful detail carries in it the clear joy the authors take in their subject. The depth and rigor would make Linnaeus proud. There are also a couple of classes available on this website, one specific to the area covered in this book, that are well worth your time.
Amy Hill –
Mushrooms of Cascadia by Noah Siegel and Christian Schwartz is a fabulous fungi book from cover to cover. The pictures are outstanding and the text is approachable for beginners and detailed enough for those who want to dive deeper.
Most of the pages cover families and species in great detail including geography, morphology, and host plant(s). The photos are clear with multiple stages of development represented. The accompanying text is thorough and includes such details as odor, taste, KOH (potassium hydroxide) testing, spore deposits, ecology, and edibility among others. The comments section adds details about habitat, shape, and similar species, and more.
The book includes a bibliography, a list of periodicals, a glossary, a general index, and a scientific names index in addition to the text.
I highly recommend this book and am excited to get out into the field with it as the weather turns wetter.
Tripp Mikich –
Is this the book we’ve all been waiting for?
One can’t be sure, because new mushroom books come out all the time. But . . . this might just be it.
Let me go out on a limb here:
Since David Arora’s still-classic Mushrooms Demystified came out 45 years ago (and still carried by every field mycologist – amateur and professional – I know), no mushroom identification book has come near to replacing it, which is why we all still carry it, duct-taped together and beat to a pulp, some 45 years later.
But it also hasn’t been revised for almost 40 years.
So as thorough as it is, it’s lack of color images and the huge shifts that have taken place in the world of mycology taxonomy in the past 50 years, have increasingly demanded more references and supplementation of our identification resources, with many of us carrying half a dozen books into the field, or at least to the trail parking lot, when we head out into the woods.
For me, a big shift happened a few years ago.
Enter Christian and Noah’s “most excellent” Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast, published in 2016.
At last a book for those of us in the PNW that began to provide the color photographic reference, and excellent descriptive material, we’d been hungry for for a number of years. At last, a more “up-to-date” mushroom identification book for those of us who spend a lot of time in the field.
But there was a catch: Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast is a tome! A beautiful and extremely well-done tome, but mostly too big and heavy to throw in the backpack beside Arora’s already weighty Mushrooms Demystified, and thus, primarily a home (or “back in the car”) reference. And, it centered on the Northern California/Southern Oregon “Redwood Coast”, stopping short (although still useful) of our great PNW, or “Cascadia”.
So when I heard that Mushrooms of Cascadia was in the works, I thought, “Finally!”
And based on my look at the PDF version (I still haven’t seen the print one yet), it doesn’t disappoint.
I’ve always been a fan of the “Ecology” and “Comments” sections of “Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast”, and Mushrooms of Cascadia continues to build on the excellent work that Christian and Noah have done over the years to try to give us a better understanding of habitat relationships of species, and the things that separate a particular species from common look alikes. And additional comments about changing taxonomy, etc, only sweeten the pot.
The photos (viewing them in the PDF) are really fine representations of the species, with true color to what many of us will know from having seen those species in the wild. And showing enough angles and cut-aways of species to give a strong sense of key ID characteristics. The descriptions of the various taxonomic features are, as one would expect, well-done and clear, with the addition of notes on smell pointing to further features for ID purposes.
So as an ID resource, at almost 600 pages and over 750 species, it’s covers a lot of ground, and fills a huge gap in the mycological library shelf for mushroom hunters and fungi fans of all persuasions.
Lastly, I want to say that the introductory sections that deal with defining “Cascadia”, explaining “What is a Mushroom,” describing the various ecological zones and bioregions of Cascadia, talking about humans and fungi relationships, a really nice section on trees of Cascadia, and how to collect, where to find, and how to photograph fungi, and so on, are a delight to read. I’m one of those people who generally skips over these sections in a mushroom ID book, but the writing and clarity of discussion are so well-done, and the tone so inviting, you should do yourself a favor and read them.
Bottom line: For those of us who spend most of our time in the field with fungi, whether for dinner, curiosity, fun, or science, if you live in Cascadia, or anywhere near, or just love the amazing world of fungi, this IS the book you’ve been waiting for.
Krista Willmorth –
Even though I primarily collect mushrooms in Idaho, I’ve been using and recommending Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast as a good “local” identification guide since it came out. By whatever quirk of geography sometime in the past, Idaho’s riparian areas and mountains are home to many of the same (or very similar) species included in that book. It has been incredibly helpful.
So, when I saw that the authors Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz were hosting a multi-week online class titled Mushrooms of Cascadia, I was very excited to take it. Correct or not, I think of “Cascadia” as a synonym for the Pacific Northwest, which is a region that sometimes includes Idaho (at least the northern part) depending on who you talk to. When I learned that the class was partly to introduce their upcoming book by the same name, I eagerly anticipated having a resource even more focused on the types of mushrooms one can find here in Idaho.
And, I’m very happy to report that seems to be the case! As you’d expect, it includes many different species than Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast did, in addition to some species that happen to overlap. Where species are duplicated, there appear to be new photographs (from what I can tell), so there’s new information even for those who own both books.
The authors don’t include any of Idaho, or even eastern Washington or Oregon, in their description of Cascadia, however. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity in that I think based on the authors’ map of Cascadia, it might not occur to people here (and even western Montana) to investigate the book, even though it would be a very useful resource. Though I’m sure word will get around, and I understand the authors wanting to be precise about the location of the exact species included in the book. I can only hope this means the authors anticipate publishing a “Mushrooms of the Mountain West” someday. 😉
The physical book is similar in size to MotRC, but happily for my aging eyes, the font is bigger and thus easier to read. However, they swapped the main typeface from non-serif in MotRC to a serif font in Mushrooms of Cascadia, which I find to be a little more fatiguing to read. And the sub-categories in MoC (like CAP, SPORE COLOR, etc.) are black, set off by bolding, rather than in red as in MotRC. But these are minor quibbles and shouldn’t keep anyone from getting great value out of the book.
Don’t skip the information at the front of the book – it’s a wonderful “class” in all that you need to get started with the world of mycology, not to mention instructions for using the book itself. I especially liked the addition of the section on “What is a species?” Very timely. Finally, don’t skip the information at the back of the book either! The Acknowledgments, Bibliography, and Resources are very useful, and demonstrate how interconnected the world of mycology is (and should be). This book and the authors’ myriad other efforts are a valuable addition to the field.
Laura Baker (verified owner) –
Noah and Christian undertook a towering amount of research to bring Mushrooms of Cascadia into existence. The photos are spectacular and the information offered about each species is impressive. The guide is pioneering–you can’t find anything else like it. I’ve nearly worn out my copy of Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast–now I can look forward to a whole new region to explore. The authors have made an enormous contribution to our understanding of the rapidly changing world of fungal taxonomy, and they have helped make the field exploration of fungi accessible to the amateur. This is an important tool, not only for the professional mycologist but for the citizen scientist who can now roam the Cascadia region with the guide in one hand and their cellphone camera in the other. I expect that iNaturalist will be the beneficiary of much more data to come, thanks to this wonderful book. Highest recommendation!
Laura M. (verified owner) –
A phenomenal, accessible and deep reference book with a great pdf field guide companion. 10/10 recommend for novices and experienced foragers alike.
Shannon R. Smith –
Filled with vibrant photos and concise information, Mushroom’s of Cascadia not only serves as a robust identification guide for beginners and experts alike, but also unlocks the hidden myco-ecology of the Pacific Northwest with academic expertise. 11/10