Picking mushrooms: what you need to know about the quantity authorized to be taken from the public domain

Autumn is here and mushroom picking, alone or with family, has resumed and a few rules apply. Of all shapes and colors, mushrooms fascinate with their diversity. We rightly fear poisonous ones, while edible ones delight the taste buds. Here are some simple rules to follow to contribute to everyone's safety and the maintenance of essential biodiversity in forest areas.

Reasonable levies

Mushroom picking must be subject to prior authorization from the owner (article 547 of the Civil Code). In national forests, it is tolerated, but it must be carried out within the framework of family consumption and the samples must remain reasonable and not exceed 5 liters per person and 2 liters for the auricle or oyster mushroom.

Beyond 5 liters (equivalent to a basket of approximately 5 kg), the collection becomes fraudulent. Controls may take place and may result in heavy sanctions: between 5 and 10 liters, the sample is punishable by a fine of €135 (article R163-5 of the Forest Code) and beyond 10 liters, it is This is an offense punishable by 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of €45,000 (articles 311-3 of the Penal Code and L 163-11 of the Forest Code).

Some advice from natural foresters

Inform your loved ones of your destination; find out about the collection location and make sure you have authorization for collection. Plots of young or regenerating seedlings are prohibited for picking, because trampling crushes the young shoots.

Equip yourself with a basket, mushrooms are fragile and could be damaged and crushed if they are transported in a plastic bag; sort the basket in the light and check its harvest; leave inedible mushrooms where they are, without damaging them; pick mushrooms of adult size and in good condition; leave the small ones on site as well as the old ones or those which are damaged or which have suffered from frost; separate known species from unknown ones and it is better to avoid picking mushrooms that you do not know.

Contrary to popular belief, you must pull out the whole mushroom and not cut it. The stem of the mushroom contains important information (mycelial felt, shape of the base of the stem, pieces of wood, color, etc.) which allows its identification. Respect the humus, the layer of earth on the surface, approximately 10 centimeters deep, which is essential to the life of the mushroom. Do not remove large clumps by taking a mushroom and do not turn the earth around them.

Beware of online applications

Opt for conspicuous clothing and do not enter logging areas or hunting areas. Park in the appropriate spaces and respect the signage on the site; do not block the lanes dedicated to emergency intervention, nor the lanes dedicated to the work of foresters and do not park in front of the barriers.

Do not trust phone applications to identify mushrooms (they are wrong in half of the cases!). To know if a mushroom is edible or not, seek the advice of a specialist, pharmacist or mycologist, to identify it.