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BOISE, Idaho – October 15, 2026 – Central District Health (CDH) is urging residents not to eat mushrooms found in yards, parks, and landscaped areas after Death Cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) were reported in several locations in Boise, including along the Greenbelts in both Boise and Garden City. Death Caps also were found in Boise in 2022 and 2025.
Death Caps are among the world’s deadliest mushrooms. They often appear in fall after rain, usually near oak and other hardwood trees. They can resemble edible mushrooms, and their toxins are not destroyed by cooking, freezing, or drying. No poisonings have been reported to CDH at this time.
Protect your family and pets:
- Don’t eat mushrooms you can’t positively identify. Even experienced foragers can mistake Death Caps for edible species. If you’re unsure, have a qualified expert check it.
- Keep an eye on kids. Watch children closely in parks, yards, schoolyards, and along trails.
- Keep pets away from mushrooms. Dogs are especially at risk.
Symptoms usually begin 6 to 24 hours after eating and include severe vomiting, abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, and dizziness. Symptoms may briefly improve, but severe liver and kidney damage can follow 3 to 5 days later. Without prompt treatment, poisoning can be fatal.
If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom, don’t wait for symptoms. Call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 and seek medical care right away. Save any remaining mushroom or take photos of the cap, stem, and underside. For pets, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.
Found them in your yard? Touching them won’t make you sick, but wear gloves or use a bag to remove them. Seal them in a bag, put them in the trash, and wash your hands.
Help track their spread by posting photos to iNaturalist or emailing the Idaho Mushroom Club at info@idahomushroomclub.org.
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Media Contacts:
Central District Health
Stephanie Geanopulos, Communications Manager
208-327-8639 | Cell: 208-871-1712
sgeanopulos@cdh.idaho.gov
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