It may be strange to hear certain kinds of trees being associated with morel mushrooms, but these great mushroom morsels are most often found under or close to some species of trees. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t occasionally found near other trees, but they just aren’t as common as with the ‘indicator’ trees.
In general, the trees to look for are firs and pines. More specifically, morel mushrooms tend to be especially dense in a mixed forest of Ponderosa or Sugar pine, and Douglas or Shasta fir. The decaying needles give the needed nutrition for the developing mushrooms. In addition, these trees grow in soil that has the same traits that morels especially love.
These fungi also prefer areas that have been disturbed within the past few years. They often will grow densely along logging roads; deer trails, and burned over areas. This is partly because the disturbed ground allows the tiny spores to have a way to get directly to the dirt. The pines and firs then protect the areas from the harshest weather that might blow the spores away, or prevent them from growing.
Morels are also most common between elevations of 4,000 and 6,000 feet, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, which is where these indicator trees like to grow. Firs are particularly useful because they provide shade as well as nutrients, and prevent the mushrooms from drying out, and they require early year moisture in order to grow well, just as the morels do.
Further, morels are more often found near fir logs and under dead fir branches or trees. Again, this shelters the developing spores from the sun, wind, and the worst of the snow. It is no accident that areas with plenty of deadfall often yield the greatest numbers of morel mushrooms.
A family of four in Oregon went camping in such a forest in the 90s, not expecting to find mushrooms, and not expecting to even look for them since both children were young. According to the father, “We knew we were in a good place when we found several small morels growing in a rather rocky area bordered on one side by firs, and on the other by aspen.”
He was quite right. Over the course of 2 days, spending about 4-5 hours total, they filled three 5-gallon buckets full of morels. Most of these were found in a mixed pine and fir forest, with most of the morels being found under firs or fir deadfall. The children actually helped a great deal. They were built closer to the ground and could see under fir trees more easily.
From that time, the family always looked for morels in the early year, anytime they were in a mixed fir forest, and have never been disappointed at the morel harvest.
If you are in a fir forest in May or June, keep your eyes open for morel mushrooms. You might be surprised at how many you can find in a short period.
