Surge in death cap mushrooms in NSW and SA as scientists warn some deadly fungi look like supermarket varieties
Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death cap mushrooms, have been found growing in Sydney, the southern highlands, southern NSW and the Adelaide hills after high rainfall, health officials say. . They warn that children are particularly at risk.
NSW Health did not disclose exact areas where the death caps had been found, so people would not seek them out.
The chief scientist at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Prof Brett Summerell, said some poisonous varieties could look 'just like a mushroom you'd buy from the supermarket', making them extremely dangerous to forage.
'They're usually associated with the roots of oak trees and exotics, as well as cooler areas,' he said. 'In Sydney we've found them in areas with established trees.'
It is estimated that half a death cap mushroom can kill an adult, and the species has caused 90% of the world's mushroom-related fatalities. Last year 23 people were hospitalised for the toxic effect of ingested mushrooms in NSW and the Australian Capital Territory, including two children under five.
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Amid coverage of the high-profile Victorian mushroom trial, Summerell said there had been a rise in people uploading sightings on websites like iNaturalist, where users identify plants and other living organisms.
'People are taking more notice of mushrooms,' he said. 'The notoriety helps to get people interested.'
Originating in Europe, death caps were first confirmed to be growing in Australia in the 1960s, initially in Canberra and then Melbourne in the 1970s. The species has spread to Asia, southern Africa and the Americas, probably on the roots of imported trees.
Wild mushrooms typically grow from late summer to early winter in wet and damp weather.
Summerell said as oak trees were generally propagated in Victoria, they could have been transported to NSW that way, or grown undetected.
'After the 2019/2020 fires, there's been year after year of intense rain, so there may have been a combination of good mushroom seasons and propagation,' he said.
The NSW Poisons Information Centre (PIC) said it had responded to 363 calls for exposure to wild mushrooms across NSW and the ACT in 2024, up 26% from 2023. In the year to 31 May 2025, there had been 190 calls related to wild mushroom exposure.
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Most cases involved symptoms of poisoning, the medical director of NSW PIC, Dr Darren Roberts said. More than half (196) of calls in 2024 related to children under five who had ingested mushrooms while playing outside in NSW and the ACT. The SA PIC took 100 mushroom-related calls last year, with 23 hospitalisations. Almost half of calls related to children under five.
Roberts said the volume of calls about young children was a 'concern'.
'Wild mushrooms can pop up overnight, so it is really important parents check any outdoor spaces where their child plays and remove wild mushrooms as they appear.'
Genevieve Adamo, a senior specialist at the NSW centre, said symptoms of mushroom poisoning included stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea.
At least 10 deaths in Australia have been attributed to death caps, including a 98-year-old Melbourne woman who picked them from her garden in 2024 and three lunch guests in Leongatha, Victoria, in 2023.
Adamo said the onset of symptoms could occur up to 24 hours after ingestion, depending on the type and amount eaten. Early treatment was 'vital' to survival, she said.
'As young children have a tendency to put things in their mouths, they can be at risk,' she said. 'Watch your children … especially around large trees in parks or your garden at home where mushrooms may grow.'
If you worried that mushroom poisoning may have occurred, do not wait for symptoms to appear. Call the Poisons Information Centre immediately on 13 11 26
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