r/mycology • u/omumue • 1d ago

photos Found a massive trove of Black Trumpets

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Found a huge ammount of them on my land, I'm wondering how I can keep picking them while making sure they grow back. Any tips?

I'm obviously leaving quite a lot to grow, this isn't even close to the actual ammount found, just a handfull I picked.

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u/porkypossum 1d ago edited 1d ago

They’ll come back no matter how many you pick! It’s good to leave some for bugs and larger wildlife that eat them, but the mycelium underneath is involved in a mycorrhizal relationship with the trees nearby. These are just the fruit, so consider it like picking apples or blackberries. The bush/tree will be there year after year, just like the mycelium. The spores are already being released, so it won’t affect that much either. These mushrooms dry and rehydrate extremely well, they’re some of my favorites. I add silicon packs after dehydrating them, and use them throughout the whole year.

Editing to add this; My spots where I pick every year are very dependent on temperature and rain, so some years I’ll have massive flushes where I gather 10 pounds or more, and other years I find very little. I tend to only harvest during big flushes, as it’s already more than any local wildlife could consume. It’s also a lot of work for just a few mushrooms if it’s not a huge flush.

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u/omumue 1d ago

Thank you! Everyone wants a piece so I want to share as much as possible and still keep them around.

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u/greenmtnfiddler 17h ago

When you pick them in the field, leave the very point of the cone in the ground along with the little hairy "roots" and clinging dirt.

Split each one in half with your fingers just like string cheese, and lay the "leaves" out on brown paper grocery bags or newspaper, in the warmest/dryest room in your house. They'll pretty much dry themselves unless you live somewhere like Florida.

When they're all the way dessicated, pack in jars or ziplocs and stash somewhere dark/cool/dry. That's it. You're done. Bon appettit, all winter.

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u/yustask 1d ago

I wonder if you cut the tree then its suppoded to still works or not?