Rare “angel of death” mushroom found growing in Soest

An extremely rare poisonous mushroom known as the “angel of death”, or formally Amanita virosa, has been discovered growing in Soest, a town in the Utrecht countryside.

It is considered a “notorious” species of fungus among mycologists, according to RTV Utrecht, for its toxicity and rarity. It was presumed extinct in the region and is designated as endangered.

Mycologist Rob Chrispijn told RTV he “jumped for joy” when he found one growing while leading a tour of the De Paltz estate in Soest. The species’ decline has come amid increased acidity in the soil, something related to the nitrogen crisis.

The fungus can be easily mistaken for an edible button mushroom, but failing to distinguish it before picking and eating could be life-threatening.

Chrispijn said that symptoms wouldn’t be immediate, but later you could suffer severe gastrointestinal problems and nausea after digesting, and “after two days, the liver and kidneys are affected, and the consequences can be permanent.”

Only two of the mushrooms were found on the estate, one of which is being examined for research. The other is remaining in the ground where it was, but Chrispijn said he isn’t worried anyone will be careless enough to eat it.