The mushroom gold rush returns to the forests of BC

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“When mushrooms are in season, starting in spring, I always have some kind of wild mushroom in my refrigerator at home,” she said.

The mushroom season is long, Scarfone said. When the snow melts you can find oyster mushrooms. Subsequently, morels sprout in areas that have suffered fires. Then there are the porcini and the first chanterelles, followed by a long break during the dry summer.

“When the first rains come after the summer it’s like a gold rush,” he said. Pine and chanterelles complete the season.

More abundant spots tend to be kept secret, but you don’t have to go far into the backcountry to find wild mushrooms. They don’t grow everywhere, but there are mushroom spots within walking distance of the main roads.

Scarfone has lived in the region for more than a decade, but only started collecting wild mushrooms a few years ago after a forager invited him to try it. Unfortunately, it ruined the excursions for him.

“I’m just not going anywhere. There’s always something in season, ”he said, citing watercress, garlic and leeks among other wild foods that can be smelled.

People are allowed to pick mushrooms on Provincial Crown lands without permission, but not in national or provincial parks or recreational areas.

Something anyone considering mushroom picking should be aware of is that poisonous varieties – including Amanita phalloides, the so-called death cap mushroom – grow in this province and eating them can get sick or even kill.