Western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata): How to Recognise It
Quick answer
Western destroying angel, Amanita ocreata: amatoxins, can be fatal. Cap, gills, stem and habitat to check, what it is confused with, and what to do after a suspected ingestion. Not a guide to eating.
Updated 2026-09-10 · Sources: Wikipedia, mykoweb.com
Take a photo to learn what it might be. Never eat a wild mushroom based on an app or a website.
Download on the App StoreWhat are the key facts?
- Scientific name: Amanita ocreata
- Common names: western destroying angel
- Toxin: amatoxins (liver and kidney damage, delayed onset)
- Severity: can be fatal
- First symptoms: Initial gastrointestinal symptoms appear within days of ingestion and appear to 'improve' after 2-3 days, before more severe organ damage follows.
- Cap: White to cream-colored, often with brownish or pinkish tones; cap margin not striate.
- Gills: Crowded, adnate to adnexed, sometimes becoming free later; white to cream-colored.
- Stem, ring and volva: Base enlarged, with a thin white membranous volva; has a thin, membranous white ring.
- Spore print: White.
- Where and when it grows: Mixed forests along the Pacific coast, associated with live oak; fruits during the rainy season (late winter to April).
- Range in North America: Along the U.S. Pacific coast, from Washington State south through California to Baja California, Mexico.
How to recognise Western destroying angel
- Cap: White to cream-colored, often with brownish or pinkish tones; cap margin not striate.
- Gills: Crowded, adnate to adnexed, sometimes becoming free later; white to cream-colored.
- Stem, ring and volva: Base enlarged, with a thin white membranous volva; has a thin, membranous white ring.
- Spore print: White.
- Where and when it grows: Mixed forests along the Pacific coast, associated with live oak; fruits during the rainy season (late winter to April).
- Range in North America: Along the U.S. Pacific coast, from Washington State south through California to Baja California, Mexico.
What happens if it is eaten
Toxin: amatoxins (liver and kidney damage, delayed onset). Severity: can be fatal. Timing: Initial gastrointestinal symptoms appear within days of ingestion and appear to 'improve' after 2-3 days, before more severe organ damage follows. A delayed start is the dangerous part: hours without symptoms do not mean the mushroom was harmless.
What to do if someone may have eaten it
Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S.) right away, or your local emergency number. Keep any leftover mushroom, a photo of it, and note when it was eaten. Do not wait for symptoms and do not try home remedies. This page does not give medical advice.
What a photo can and cannot do
A clear photo of the whole mushroom, including the base dug out of the ground, the gills and a spore print, lets the app and a mycologist narrow down what it might be and flag features that match Western destroying angel. No photo, app or website can confirm that a wild mushroom is safe to eat. Use identification to know what to avoid, not what to cook.
FAQ
Is western destroying angel deadly?
Western destroying angel is classed here as: can be fatal. Its toxin is amatoxins (liver and kidney damage, delayed onset). Treat any suspected ingestion as an emergency.
Where does western destroying angel grow?
Mixed forests along the Pacific coast, associated with live oak; fruits during the rainy season (late winter to April).
Can the app tell me if a mushroom is safe to eat?
No. The app helps you see which features match known species, including toxic ones, so you know what to stay away from. It never declares a wild mushroom safe.
More in Toxic Mushrooms of North America
- Death Cap Mushrooms (Amanita phalloides): ID and Danger
- Destroying Angel Mushroom (Amanita bisporigera): How to ID
- Funeral Bell Mushroom (Galerina marginata): How to ID It
- False Morel Mushrooms (Gyromitra): Poisonous, How to Tell
- Fool's conecap (Conocybe filaris): How to Recognise It
- Deadly Lepiota (Lepiota brunneoincarnata): How to Recognise It
- Deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus): How to Recognise It
- Brown roll-rim (Paxillus involutus): How to Recognise It
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Take a photo to learn what it might be. Never eat a wild mushroom based on an app or a website.
Sources
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_ocreata
- mykoweb.comwww.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Amanita_ocreata.html
Compiled by the MushroomLens editorial team
Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-10. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.