Stumped No More - Mycorrhizal Tree ID Class for Mushroom Hunters

In this hands-on workshop in Berkeley with Dr. Cat Adams, you’ll learn how to recognize the California trees that shape where mushrooms grow. We’ll start with the big picture—why tree identification matters for foraging—by connecting common California trees to the fungi they host, from ectomycorrhizal partners like oaks, pines, and madrone to arbuscular-mycorrhizal hardwoods that support very different mushroom communities. You’ll learn practical field clues for telling hardwood from softwood, distinguishing major conifer groups, and separating commonly confused broadleaf trees such as birch, maple, and oak. Along the way, we’ll cover the features botanists actually use in the field: bark color and texture, leaf arrangement and shape, and cones, acorns, and other fruits.

This is an interactive, specimen-based class. After the interactive lecture, we’ll provide leaves, cones, and fruits for a guided ID quiz so you can practice using diagnostic traits. Then we’ll head outside to apply your skills in real time with a tree ID game in a beautiful botanical garden.

By the end, you’ll have a toolkit for quickly identifying common host trees and a clearer understanding of how fungal ecology can make you a faster, more accurate, and more successful mushroom hunter.