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Tall parasol mushroom with a scaly cap and snakeskin stem in grass
Choice edibleintermediate

Parasol Mushroom

Macrolepiota procera / Parasol

A towering meadow mushroom with a scaly brown cap up to 30 cm, a snakeskin-patterned stem, and a movable double ring.

Photo: Fens, CC0
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Identification warning

Confirm a white spore print and a movable ring. Small Lepiota species with similar scales can be deadly.

Season
Summer to autumn
Habitat
Grassland, meadows, and open woodland edges
Underside
Free, crowded 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
13,395
People who recorded it
7,152
Most records (northern hemisphere)
Sep–Oct
Records span
1980–2026

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.

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Lookalikes to rule out

Chlorophyllum molybdites leaves a green spore print and its mature gills turn grayish green.

Shaggy parasol has a smooth stem and flesh that stains orange-red when cut.

Identification

The parasol starts as a brown drumstick and opens into a broad, flat cap with a dark central bump and concentric brown scales on a pale background. The long stem is banded with a brown snakeskin pattern. The thick double ring can be slid up and down the stem. Gills are white and free from the stem.

Uses and ecology

Parasols recycle organic matter in grassland and open woods across Europe and parts of Asia and North Africa. Caps are often fried whole; stems are fibrous and usually discarded.

Memorable fact

Few gilled mushrooms in Europe grow taller; a mature parasol can stand 40 cm high.

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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