Certainly, one of the most colorfully named wild, edible mushrooms in our region is the Old Man of the Woods. Appearing July through October, Strobilomyces floccopus features a two-to-five inch wide grayish black cap that is quite distinct in appearance, but hard to spot among the forest duff.
Bruce Ingram
This Old Man of the Woods was found growing in the mountains of Craig County, Virginia.
Also of note, this member of the Bolete family can grow among hardwoods, mixed hardwoods, and pines in our region. This adaptability makes the Old Man one of the most common mushrooms found during summer and early fall hikes in our mountains. Although this fungi is typically found, there never seems to be more than one or two in a general area. Because of that likelihood, Old Man of the Woods is rarely the main event in any mushroom-themed meal.
As always with mushrooms, I suggest that the first time gatherers search for any species unfamiliar to them, that they go with a fungi expert who can positively identify the species. Also, even edible mushrooms can have disagreeable effects on some people, especially if they have not been cooked beforehand. Always just eat small amounts of a species the first time it’s consumed.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com