Poplar mushroom

Which mushroom is the poplar mushroom?

The poplar mushroom on this page is Cyclocybe cylindracea, listed in older sources as Agrocybe aegerita. In Europe it is sold as pioppino and in China as the tea tree mushroom. In Turkey the name kavak mantarı is also used for the oyster mushroom; Turkish Wikipedia describes Pleurotus ostreatus under that title. We explain the difference in our article on kavak mantarı; for the oyster mushroom see our oyster mushroom page.

Can you grow poplar mushrooms at home? Is there a kit?

Yes. The poplar mushroom suits cultivation and is grown commercially in Korea, Japan, China and Australia (Wikipedia). In a 2022 study in the Asian Journal of Mycology, researchers at ACECR in Iran inoculated wheat-grain spawn into substrates made from woody and non-woody waste; the substrates were fully colonised in 9–11 days at 23–25 °C and then moved to a fruiting room at 16–20 °C and 80–85% humidity.

The same study notes that on most substrates this species yields less than oyster mushrooms, and that this is the main obstacle to large-scale production. So poplar mushrooms will grow at home, but they need patience and steady humidity and temperature: the wait for the first flush is longer than with oysters and each cluster gives less.

We don't sell a poplar mushroom kit at the moment. For a first try at home an oyster mushroom block is still the easiest start; see our grow at home guide. If you want to try poplar mushrooms, buy ready spawn or a block from a reliable grower; don't try to multiply a wild mushroom at home, because you can't be sure of the species.

How do you cook poplar mushrooms?

Poplar mushrooms are eaten cooked in stir-fries, soups, stews and casseroles; they are a typical ingredient in southern European and Chinese cooking and in East Asia are used fresh or dried and rehydrated (Wikipedia). First Nature describes the taste as nutty and the smell as pleasant.

The stems are fibrous, so trim the tough base of the cluster and either cut stems and caps separately or give the whole cluster a quick sauté and then cook it covered over a low heat until the stems soften. In Italy pioppino most often becomes a pasta sauce with garlic, olive oil, white wine and parsley; our pioppino spaghetti recipe gives the quantities. Never eat them raw.

Don't soak the mushrooms; rinse them quickly under running water and dry straight away. See our mushroom calendar for seasons and our map for Turkish records.

How do you store poplar mushrooms?

Store fresh poplar mushrooms like any mushroom: in the fridge, in their own container or a paper bag, and cook them within 3 days. Penn State Extension notes that plastic bags trap moisture that spoils mushrooms, while loose mushrooms dry out, and advises keeping them away from raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs.

For longer storage there are two options. Drying: according to the same source, clean the mushrooms, remove woody stems, slice and dry in a dehydrator for 8–10 hours; in East Asia poplar mushrooms are commonly used dried and rehydrated (Wikipedia). Freezing: steam-blanch slices for 5 minutes, cool quickly, drain, pack and freeze (Penn State Extension).

Which mushrooms can be confused with the poplar mushroom?

The most dangerous lookalike is the funeral bell (Galerina marginata). According to First Nature it also grows in clusters on wood and is brown with a ring, but its cap is smaller, its stem thin and brown and its spore print rusty brown, and it contains liver-destroying amatoxins. The poplar mushroom has a thick white stem and a tobacco-brown spore print.

The second is the sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare), which forms crowded clusters on stumps but has a sulphur-yellow cap, greenish-yellow gills, no ring and a very bitter taste; it is poisonous (First Nature). The third is a naming mix-up: in Turkey the oyster mushroom is also called kavak mantarı, but oysters are fan-shaped, ringless and have gills running down the stem.

Never rely on a single feature: judge the cap, stem, ring, spore print colour and the wood it grows on together. If in doubt, don't eat it; our poisonous mushrooms page lists the deadly species.

Where and when is the poplar mushroom found in Turkey?

Most of the 23 Turkish observations on our map are from Istanbul, with others from Ankara, Diyarbakır, İzmir and Kocaeli (GBIF). Specimens collected in Tokat have also been studied scientifically. Look at the stumps, trunk hollows and roots of old or felled poplars and willows along streams, in parks and by roadsides.

In the field the clues come together: First Nature describes it as a saprobic mushroom growing in tufts on poplar and willow stumps and on standing dead or dying trees. The gills start cream, turn grey-brown and then mid brown as the spores mature, and the ring high on the stem is persistent and hanging. A brown cap, a thick white stem, a hanging ring and a tobacco-brown spore print together point to the poplar mushroom, but the final call belongs to an expert.

Turkish records cluster in spring (March–May) and autumn (September–December); 11 of the 23 observations are from October. First Nature gives the season in Britain and Ireland as July to October and says the species is more common in central and southern mainland Europe. In cultivation it is produced all year. A lack of records doesn't mean the species is absent, only that no one has logged it.