
University of California
Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants
Mushrooms
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Eating any mushrooms collected outdoors should be considered dangerous. Call the Poison Control Center even if you only think that someone has eaten one. Even after a serious poisoning, symptoms may not appear until many hours later. Do not wait until symptoms appear.
- Poison Control Center: (800) 222-1222
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Symptoms of severe mushroom poisoning can include intense vomiting and diarrhea and can lead to liver failure and death.
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Eating mushrooms collected outdoors can be very risky because many poisonous mushrooms look and taste like ones that are safe to eat. There is no easy way to tell the difference between safe and unsafe mushrooms.
- This is important for people who come to California from other areas of the world. California has extremely poisonous mushrooms that may look similar to "safe" mushrooms found in other areas.
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Teach children never to touch or taste outdoor mushrooms.