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Writer's pictureOrion Aon

An Introduction to Colorado Morels

Updated: May 2

"We have morels here?!”


I often get this response when talking to someone about hunting for morels in Colorado. Yes, we do, and sometimes they can be quite prevalent!


In this series of blog posts, I hope to teach you everything I know about these elusive spring mushrooms!


This short introduction post will serve as a foundation for the rest of the blogs that will be in this series. If you’re new to morels in Colorado or elsewhere, I suggest following through with the entire thing, as it will be chock full of information. However, if you already have some experience finding morels, feel free to jump around the different parts to pick the specifics you want! At the bottom of this post, I will also include a list of resources related to Colorado morels.


Here’s what you can expect from the rest of the series.


In the next post, we’ll get into the basics of morels. We’ll go over the two types found in Colorado: yellow (also called blonde) and black. We’ll go over important identifying traits and differences between morels and their common look-a-likes, what sort of gear you’ll want to have before you get started, and some of the mindsets you should develop to be a successful morel hunter!


After the basics, we’ll get into the specifics of morels. This section will be separated between the two types of morels mentioned above and will be the most information-dense part of the series. We’ll go through all the details, starting with the low-elevation yellows and following the morel’s natural fruiting progression into the mountains, where we’ll find the blacks.


We’ll get into the when, where, what, and how for both types. That will include habitats and elevations, seasonal timing, key plant species to learn, and troubleshooting when it all seems perfect, but you’re still finding yourself empty-handed. We’ll also cover some differences between ‘burn’ and ‘natural’ black morels and some details for hunting down burn morels.


Black morels (Morchella sp.) found in a burn area in Colorado.
A few perfect burn morels from Colorado.

The final section will cover caring for your morels once you've been successful! We’ll need to know how to collect, process, transport, preserve, and prepare them for cooking! In this section, we’ll go from the field into the kitchen, properly caring for our precious morels the entire way.


My goal with this series of posts is to take you from the basics into the field and back to the kitchen. Hopefully, making you a better morel hunter along the way. Although the information in this series is specific to Colorado, it should also help you develop the skills needed to find morels in other locations! Whether you’ve already had some success or you are brand new to morels, I think you’ll find some useful information.



 

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Disclaimer: Do not consume or use any mushrooms, plants, or other foraged materials based solely on the content of this website. The information provided here is intended to be educational, but it is not intended to the final word on the edibility of any foraged material. Be 100% sure of your own identifications before consuming any foraged plants, mushrooms, etc.

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