When spring comes, my thoughts turn towards two things, fishing, and hunting Morel mushrooms. Depending on the weather here in southern Ohio, the Morel season almost always starts in early april. The first Morels to appear are dark, or black in color..When hunting the black Morels, I always look for Ash trees to begin my search. Black Morels seem to grow better around these trees. Later in the season, around mid april you will start to find the white Morel. Dead or dying elm trees are top areas to search. You can find the white Morels in the dead bark at the base of elm trees, if you find such trees make sure you cover these areas well. The last Morel to arrive is the yellow Morel, I have found the areas around elm and ash trees to produce yellow Morels. I have also found large patches growing along railroad tracks.
The king of the spring woods!
Early season black Morel
I found these Morels growing around dead elm trees behind my house.
More early seasom Morels
The hillside in the background is my favorite mushroom spot. The ridgeline is full of ash, and elm. I spend as much time looking up while mushroom hunting as down. As I have found out that finding the right trees is critical of success.
