Field mushroom - Agaricus campestris
- The Foraging Course Company
- May 10
- 2 min read
Edible mushroom - novice/intermediate Season - summer to autumn Common names Field mushroom, meadow mushroom, pink bottom
Scientific name meaning: Agaricus comes from the Greek Agarikon, meaning mushroom. Campestris is from the Latin Campus, meaning growing in a field or on a plain
Habitat  The field mushroom is found in grassland that has plenty of decaying organic matter, like grass clippings or grazing animal dung, such as grazed pastures or meadows. |
Overall structure and growth  The field mushroom is saprobic living on dead and decaying organic matter under the sward. It grows in rings and partials rings, but single fruits or clumps are sometimes found. |
Cap  Starts off smooth and white, and often develops a slightly darker centre with age. When the fruit is young, it is dome-shaped, becoming very flattened as it ages. The margin usual stays inrolled and often has ragged veil remnants attached. It can reach between 3cm and 10cm in diameter. |
Gills and spores  Starting off deep pink the gills eventually turn dark brown then almost black. The gills are crowded and free (they do not touch the stem). The spore colour is dark brown. |
Stem  Sturdy and white in colour, the stem can reach 3 to 10cm tall, is 1 to 2cm wide, and tapers at the base. It has a ring, or skirt, which disappears as the fruit matures. The stem is smooth above the ring, and slightly scaly beneath. |
Flesh, smell and taste  The flesh is white bruising pink when damaged. The smell and taste is sweet and mushroomy. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with any of the poisonous Agaricus - such as the yellow stainer (Agaricus xanthodermis), pictured, or the inky mushroom (Agaricus moelleri), but these smell unpleasant of phenol or bottled ink and/or stain strongly yellow, particularly in the base of the stem, when bruised or cut. |
Use as a food Must be cooked and can be used exactly as a cultivated mushroom. It can often picks up lots of soil so thorough cleaning is advised Hazards This mushroom can grow on roadside grass verges where it can accumulate traffic-related toxins. It is advisable to avoid harvesting from the sides of busy roads
Use in herbal medicine and medicine Research is currently being undertaken into the use of field mushrooms in producing fungal dressings for ulcers and bed sores. Field mushrooms have been used to treat burns in the past
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known at time of writing Importance to other species Provides food for a number of invertebrates and their larvae
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!