Overview

• After recent rainfall and cooler nights, the 2025 season has surged with porcini, chanterelles, parasols and other edibles appearing across multiple regions.
• Poisoning remains a serious hazard with several deaths reported annually in Germany, and the green death cap responsible for most fatal cases.
• Poison-information centers handle hundreds of mushroom-related calls each year; Erfurt’s GGIZ logged nearly 70 suspected cases in August—about triple the usual—and reports brisk activity again this month.
• Specialists urge strict safety: only pick what you can identify with certainty, consult certified mushroom experts rather than apps, transport in baskets, and cook wild mushrooms thoroughly for 15–20 minutes.
• Rules limit personal harvests to small quantities (often about 1–2 kg daily) and ban collecting in many protected areas, with media citing fines that can reach €10,000 for violations.