Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)
Common mushroom

Common Puffball

Lycoperdon perlatum

Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum) is a common mushroom in Tennessee. Say it: ly-koh-pur-don pur-lay-tum.

How to know it

  • Has: Solid white inside (young)
  • Has: Tiny spines on the skin
  • Does not have: No gills

Old ones puff out spores like smoke

Edible Only when pure white inside

Never eat a wild mushroom without an expert

Where and when

Woods and parks statewide
Fruits
Fruits: May, June, July, August, September, October

Where to look

  • Grows on Soil, moss or rotting wood
  • Trees Hardwoods or conifers
  • Conditions After summer and fall rains

Watch

Video coming soon. Common Puffball appears in our Mushrooms of Tennessee on YouTube.

Also out in October

See all mushrooms of Tennessee →

More photos

Never eat a wild mushroom unless an expert has identified it in person. This page is for learning, not a guide to eating.

Top photo: Michael Nerrie (CC BY) · source. Think something here is wrong? Tell us.