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Pure white European destroying angel in forest moss
Deadlyexpert-only

European Destroying Angel

Amanita virosa

A pure white, deadly Amanita of northern European woods with a shaggy stem and a large sac-like volva.

Photo: Linda Lötjönen, CC BY
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Toxicity warning

Potentially fatal. Contains amatoxins that survive cooking. Contact a poison center immediately after any possible ingestion.

Season
Summer to autumn
Habitat
Acidic woodland with birch, pine, and spruce in northern and central Europe
Underside
Free white gills
Spore evidence
White

Where it grows

Tracked records and known growing zone

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Squares: where people recorded it, brighter where more people did
Verified records
598
People who recorded it
440
Most records (northern hemisphere)
Aug–Sep
Records span
1991–2026

Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.

Observation season

When field records occur

Choose a hemisphere · All recorded years; not a current forecast.

Choose the hemisphere you want to study. Country detection is approximate and some countries span the equator.

Compare before concluding

Lookalikes to rule out

Agaricus have gills that turn pink to brown and no volva.

Puffballs

deadly

Cut every white button vertically; Amanita eggs show gills and a cap outline.

Identification

Everything is white. The cap is conical to bell-shaped, often lopsided. The stem is shaggy with woolly scales and carries a fragile ring that may disappear. The base sits in a large, loose, sac-like volva, often buried. Gills are white and free.

Why it matters

Like the death cap, this species contains amatoxins that destroy liver cells. Symptoms begin 6 to 24 hours after eating, followed by a deceptive improvement and then liver and kidney failure.

Memorable fact

Its old English name, destroying angel, was given for its combination of purity of color and extreme toxicity.

Sources

Never eat a mushroom from this page alone

Confirm identity using the whole specimen, multiple reputable sources, and a qualified local expert. Identified edible species still require appropriate preparation. Cooking does not make a poisonous mushroom safe.

Safety and poison response
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