Species library · Mushrooms

Foraging Dead Man's Fingers

Podaxis pistillaris

Typically in season from January to December, peaking around August to October in the northern hemisphere. Found in Scrub & hedgerows, Disturbed ground. Has toxic lookalikes, so check carefully.

Dead Man's Fingers (Podaxis pistillaris)

Photo: (c) Eric Knight, some rights reserved (CC BY) · iNaturalist

When Dead Man's Fingers is in season

Typical window in the northern hemisphere, peak August to October. The southern hemisphere runs about six months offset, and your own timing depends on local weather, so check your town.

→ Everything in season to forage in September

Where it grows

Dead Man's Fingers is usually found in Scrub & hedgerows, Disturbed ground.

⚠ Look-alikes & safety

Deadly look-alikes: Death cap, Shaggy ink cap, Sandy stiltball. Only forage with a confident ID.

Take Dead Man's Fingers into the field

Open Dead Man's Fingers in the Forage app for its full field guide entry with more photos, key features and toxic lookalikes to check against. Add it to your watchlist and the app pings you the moment it comes into season at your exact spot, worked out from live weather, elevation and billions of occurrence records.

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Dead Man's Fingers: common questions

When is Dead Man's Fingers in season?

Dead Man's Fingers is generally in season from January to December, with its peak around August to October in temperate northern regions. The exact timing shifts with latitude, elevation and each year's weather. Check the Season Finder for your own location.

Where does Dead Man's Fingers grow?

Dead Man's Fingers is usually found in Scrub & hedgerows, Disturbed ground.

Is Dead Man's Fingers safe to forage?

Deadly look-alikes: Death cap, Shaggy ink cap, Sandy stiltball. Only forage with a confident ID. Never eat any wild plant, berry, nut or mushroom unless you are completely certain of the identification. Check every find against a reliable field guide, and when in doubt, don't.

One note before you head out

Forage helps you discover and identify wild plants, but identification is never 100% certain. Many edible plants have toxic lookalikes. Never eat anything you find based only on what this app tells you. Always confirm with a field guide, an experienced forager or a local expert. The season score tells you where to look, too: it’s not a guarantee. Mind conservation law and property rights as well.

Species photos via Wikimedia Commons and iNaturalist · full credits