Amanita rubescens

Here’s a classic mushroom, warts and all. “The Blusher” is a common, colorful mushroom in the genus Amanita that has a prominent ring (and sometimes a full veil) on the stem.  The cap is reddish-brown to yellow-beige and freckled with warts; the stem tends to take on the color of the cap. The gills are white and free from the stem. The flesh of the blusher is white but bruises pink if damaged (hence the common name!).

The blusher is mycorrhizal on trees and can be found in the forest during summer and fall in Appalachia. Most members of the Amanita genus are poisonous. This one should likewise be considered inedible.