Mushrooms’ Popularity Is Booming, But So Are Poisonings, Experts Warn

Mowing the yard outside his home in Windham, Ohio, William D. Hickman discovered what he thought would make a delicious addition to his dinner. A beautiful handful of mushrooms had popped out of the shaggy green lawn.

“As I’m mowing the ditch, I go by them three or four times, and I’m like, ‘Man, those look good,’ ” the 55-year-old said, closing his eyes as he remembers the day.

For generations, the Hickman family has foraged for mushrooms. Unlike his great-grandparents, who had to study which ones were safe to eat, Hickman thought he had an advantage: He pulled out his smartphone, photographed the fungi and uploaded the image to a plant identifier.

His app said they were giant puffballs, an edible variety. So Hickman brought the little beige mushrooms inside to his wife, Tammy. She felt leery about eating something from the yard, so she sauteed them in butter and garlic and placed them carefully on his tortellini only.

Hickman thought they were delicious — until about eight hours later, when he felt like he was going to die.

He nearly did.