Central Iowa Morels?

Yes baby Greys are up around Des Moines! Found 16 1 inchers after work last night near hill top on east slope

 

fun gus, thanks for the information!

 

I'm 3o miles south of bc and went out last night and found none. Should be better early season pickings sat

 

Went out yesterday to my early spot here in cedar county just north of I80 and found 4 grays an inch tall. Had to stop due to the storms rollin in but will be goin back out in the morning. Season has finally started!!!!

 

went back out yesterday morning and spent a couple hours in the woods and found 60 grays 1 in to 2 in tall

 

did you pick them?

 

yes i did and plan on eatin them this morning, been waiting for a year to enjoy a morel breakfast lol

 

good for you

 

I hate that it is going to be cool the next 5-7 days. we need some sun and humidity then i think we will be tripping over them.

 

Went out in Des Moines today and found 22 grey and yellows in about 25 minutes. Not finding much in Ames though, I did notice the Jacaranda trees in Des Moines are in full bloom, but here in Ames they're just starting to bud.

 

I have found 1! And only one! I am in warren county and I have no clue as to where these suckers are hiding. I don't wanna hit up public parks as I'm sure they have all been found already. Any Suggestions?

 

Cumming/Winterset area we found a few. Yesterday we went out in the morning & found about 15 between my mom & I. We found about 40 the night before. They were all in the same general area, a 2 acre patch. Most were 1-2 inch grey/blonde. We were on the top of the hill in a partially shaded area. Hope this helps encourage y'all! Keep Shroomin' & Happy Picking

Btw, webmaster the image menu tab needs a select from photos option if possible

 

I went out today 5/8 to the big creek and saylorville area. looked for two hours and came up empty.

 

We used to consider grays and yellows and the big-footed morels separate species until DNA analysis showed they were all the same mushroom. Which means that little grays will grow into the bigger yellows if you give them a week to 10 days under the right conditions. Soil temperatures statewide are fine for morels. Given rain and warmth, they should be popping up everywhere. Get outdoors!

 

That's right, Mike. Like most, I always thought of the "grays" as different, i.e., early morels. It seemed the grays came first and then the yellows followed. Lo and behold, DNA analysis proves they are the same species. The early grays are, in fact, immature yellows!

Take a look at this cluster of 9 yellows...a week ago they were grays:

 

Wow, Shroom god. That's a dream find there, the holy grail, as it were, in my mind. Love the clusters. But who wouldn't? I found something similar to that big gob of wonder just behind a massive dying elm on the uphill side of it up high at the top of a bank near a fence line late in the season about 10 years ago. Thought I'd pass out right there on that slope I was so excited. It looked so hard to get there that I'd been walking past it for a few weeks before I steeled myself to make the climb up the steep slope and through the stickers and weeds to get there. Needless to say, it was worth the effort! Every season since, I've been hoping to run across a similar cluster. But no such luck. I still walk past that tree, long dead and toppled over, decaying in the dirt and sticker bushes, producing morels no more. Maybe Sunday...

 

Sure Greys are baby yellows, but like asparagus, the young tender shoots are tastier! As the soil warms grey pops are isolated to the cooler microclimates then it's the yellows only. I'm done when I get enough for me and friends and leave the late season big and fast turning rusty ones to repopulate or those who want them because I think the flavor is lessened.
We all have our theories even if science- based. I prefer thick outer bumpy and thin inner smooth of early to late mid season over the thicker inner smooth of and thinner outer bumpy part of late season morels so I stop when I get 60#_ 75# each year. I know how to find, pick, and the basic science so I really just skip past the advanced arguments about why shared observations, technical terms, and descriptions of finds are scientifically wrong. I like others findings and take it for what it's worth.
Good pickings and don't litter- please pack out your trash

 

Well said fun gus. Observation is as good a teacher as any. A better one, even.