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Mushrooms month by month · 29 species

Mushrooms in May in Turkey

In May, 29 species in our guide are in season in Turkey: 12 edible or traditionally used and 5 poisonous or deadly. Edible highlights: Shaggy ink cap, Wood ear mushroom, Chicken of the woods and Poplar mushroom.

Mushrooms in season in May

May falls in the spring months in Turkey. This page is built from the season data on our species pages; rain, temperature and altitude can shift seasons by a few weeks.

The most recorded mushrooms in May

MushroomStatusMay records
Red cage fungusClathrus ruberUnknown45
Shaggy ink capCoprinus comatusEdible32
Split gillSchizophyllum communeUnknown28
Common stinkhornPhallus impudicusUnknown13
Glistening inkcapCoprinellus micaceusUnknown12
Wood ear mushroomAuricularia auricula-judaeEdible12
Hairy curtain crustStereum hirsutumUnknown11
Pale brittlestemCandolleomyces candolleanusUnknown8
Turkey tailTrametes versicolorUnknown8
Grey knightTricholoma terreumUnknown6
Common bird’s nest fungusCrucibulum laeveUnknown5
ReishiGanoderma lucidumTraditional use4
Poplar mushroomCyclocybe cylindraceaEdible3
Parasol mushroomMacrolepiota proceraEdible3
Violet crown cupSarcosphaera coronariaPoisonous3
Suillus collinitusSuillus collinitusUnknown3
Dryad’s saddleCerioporus squamosusEdible3
MorelMorchella esculentaEdible2
Desert truffleTerfezia claveryiEdible2
Artist’s bracketGanoderma applanatumUnknown2

Source: GBIF and iNaturalist, all years combined. Status is a guide and is not enough to decide to eat a mushroom; do not eat a wild mushroom unless an expert has seen it in person. Full data and method

Poisonous look-alikes in May

Alongside the edible species, False morel, Common ink cap, Violet crown cup, Yellow stainer and Deadly fibrecap are also in season this month. Never eat a mushroom you cannot identify with certainty.

Records by region in May

Verified GBIF and iNaturalist records made in May, with the five most recorded species per region (data as of 2026-11-02). Numbers are past records, not a promise for this year.

See records by province on the map →

Mushroom recipes for May

Morels in butter (kuzugöbeği), made with morel (Morchella esculenta) Snacks & starters Morels in butter (kuzugöbeği) Morels sautéed in butter with shallot, garlic and thyme and piled onto toasted sourdough; works with fresh or dried morels. 54 min Morel Desert truffle scrambled eggs, made with desert truffle (Terfezia spp.) Breakfast Desert truffle scrambled eggs Desert truffle slices sautéed in butter with shallot and folded into creamy scrambled eggs: the simplest classic way to eat domalan, ready in 25 minutes. 25 min Desert truffle Truffle tagliolini, made with truffle (Tuber spp.) Pasta & risotto Truffle tagliolini Fine egg pasta tossed with butter and Parmigiano and finished with fresh shaved truffle: Italy's best-known truffle dish, ready in 15 minutes. 15 min Truffle Pioppino mushroom spaghetti, made with poplar mushroom (Cyclocybe cylindracea) Pasta & risotto Pioppino mushroom spaghetti Pioppino (poplar mushrooms) sautéed in garlicky olive oil and softened in white wine over a low heat, tossed with spaghetti: serves two, ready in 30 minutes. 30 min Poplar mushroom Shaggy ink cap soup, made with shaggy ink cap (Coprinus comatus) Soups Shaggy ink cap soup A light, milky soup of young shaggy ink caps cooked with spring onions and butter; ready in 25 minutes on the day you pick them. 35 min Shaggy ink cap Fried weeping boletes with potatoes, made with weeping bolete (Suillus granulatus) Mains Fried weeping boletes with potatoes Peeled weeping boletes fried with new potatoes, carrots and onions: a simple main adapted from a Russian fried maslyata recipe. 55 min Weeping bolete

Articles for May

Poisonous and deadly mushrooms in May

Violet crown cup (Sarcosphaera coronaria): The violet crown cup appears in spring, soon after snowmelt; Turkish records fall between February and June, most often in March and May.

Frequently asked questions

Which mushrooms grow in May in Turkey?

According to our guide, 29 species are in season in May, including the edible Shaggy ink cap, Wood ear mushroom, Chicken of the woods, Poplar mushroom, Dryad's saddle, Morel, Fairy ring champignon and Weeping bolete.

Are there poisonous mushrooms in May?

Yes: False morel, Common ink cap, Violet crown cup, Yellow stainer and Deadly fibrecap.

Which mushrooms start their season in May?

Common bird's nest fungus, Common stinkhorn, Chicken of the woods, Suillus collinitus, Weeping bolete, Artist's bracket, Yellow stainer, Truffle and Horse mushroom.

Which mushrooms end their season in May?

Split gill, Shaggy ink cap, Red cage fungus, Wood ear mushroom, Hairy curtain crust, Common bird's nest fungus, Yellow brain, Poplar mushroom, False morel, Suillus collinitus, Morel, Fairy ring champignon, Common ink cap, Artist's bracket, Desert truffle and Yellow stainer.

Where in Turkey are most mushrooms recorded in May?

Verified GBIF and iNaturalist records for this month come mostly from Marmara (177), Central Anatolia (101) and Black Sea (56).

Is it safe to forage in May?

Only pick species you can identify with certainty; 5 poisonous or deadly species in our guide are in season. In an emergency in Turkey call 112; the poison centre is 114.

Sources

  1. GBIF ve iNaturalist: Türkiye gözlem kayıtları (sitemizin haritası) gbif.org
  2. GBIF: Tüylü maymuncuk mantarı (Schizophyllum commune), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  3. GBIF: Mürekkep mantarı (Coprinus comatus), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
All sources (20)
  1. GBIF: Kafes mantarı (Clathrus ruber), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  2. GBIF: Kulak mantarı (Auricularia auricula-judae), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  3. GBIF: Hindi kuyruğu (Trametes versicolor), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  4. GBIF: Kıllı katmantarı (Stereum hirsutum), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  5. GBIF: Kuş yuvası mantarı (Crucibulum laeve), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  6. GBIF: Pis kokulu boynuz mantarı (Phallus impudicus), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  7. GBIF: Çöp mantarı (Candolleomyces candolleanus), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  8. GBIF: Kükürt mantarı (Laetiporus sulphureus), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  9. GBIF: Sarıpelte mantarı (Tremella mesenterica), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  10. GBIF: Pullu mürekkep mantarı (Coprinellus micaceus), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  11. GBIF: Fomes fomentarius, Kav mantarı (Fomes fomentarius), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  12. GBIF: Cyclocybe cylindracea, Kavak mantarı (Cyclocybe cylindracea), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  13. GBIF: Sahte kuzugöbeği (Gyromitra esculenta), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  14. GBIF: Pullu mantar (Cerioporus squamosus), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  15. GBIF: Beneklisünger mantarı (Suillus collinitus), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  16. GBIF: Kuzugöbeği (Morchella esculenta), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
  17. GBIF: Mıhbaşı mantarı (Marasmius oreades), Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org

Other months

Data sources and licences

Observations from GBIF.org (human observations and herbarium specimens; records flagged with geospatial issues excluded) and iNaturalist research-grade records, retrieved 2 November 2026. Macrofungi only (Agaricomycetes, Pezizomycetes), named to species. Every point links to its own record, with the recorder and licence (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-NC).

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Province centres: Wikidata. Region comes from the record's GADM province, or the nearest province centre when missing. For protected species (iNaturalist "threatened" or IUCN VU/EN/CR) locations are rounded to ~10 km; locations obscured by iNaturalist are marked "approximate".

An observation shows that a mushroom was seen there on that day, not that it is there now or that it may be picked. Counts reflect how many people record fungi in an area more than how common a species is.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial teamReport a correction