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Edibility
Edible
Lookalike Danger
2 / 5
Habitat
🌳 Mossy woods
Season
Aug – Oct🌱 Now
"Deep violet throughout. Fades to brown when dry — that's the 'deceiver.' Mild, beautiful."
🌳 Host Trees & Plants
This species is found with or partners with the following hosts. Ectomycorrhizal hosts (green border) form a root-level partnership; ericoid / arbutoid shrubs (purple border) share the same mycorrhizal networks.
Forest Moss
Bryophyta (mixed)
Saprobic substrate
Substrate for many mushroom species — chanterelles, Russulas, and more fruit through mossy duff.
Small bright purple mushroom in mossy forest duff. Fades to pale tan when old (hence "deceiver" — color varies). Mild flavor; mainly used for color. Bioaccumulates arsenic — do not eat from contaminated soils.
Habitat
Moss and leaf litter in hardwood forests across North America and Europe. Summer through fall.
Look for this on the ground
Mixed hardwood litter
Layered fallen leaves of maple, beech, birch, hickory — eastern deciduous floor.
Season Windows by Region
Region
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Glacier / Flathead NF
MT · 3,500–8,500 ft
Bitterroot / Sapphire
MT · 3,500–9,000 ft
Helena / Big Belts
MT · 4,000–8,500 ft
Gallatin / Madison
MT · 5,500–10,500 ft
Beartooth / Absaroka
MT · 5,000–12,000 ft
Sawtooth / Stanley Basin
ID · 6,000–10,500 ft
Clearwater Mountains
ID · 2,500–7,500 ft
Boise Mountains
ID · 4,000–9,500 ft
Salmon River / Lemhi
ID · 4,500–10,000 ft
Sun Valley / Wood River
ID · 5,500–10,500 ft
Bighorn Mountains
WY · 5,500–13,000 ft
Bridger-Teton / Tetons
WY · 6,000–13,500 ft
Wind River Range
WY · 7,000–13,800 ft
Absaroka / Shoshone NF
WY · 6,000–12,500 ft
North Cascades
WA · 1,500–8,000 ft
Central Cascades / Snoqualmie
WA · 1,500–7,000 ft
Olympic Peninsula
WA · 500–6,000 ft
Gifford Pinchot / South Cascades
WA · 1,000–8,000 ft
Okanogan Highlands
WA · 2,500–7,500 ft
Mt Hood / North Oregon Cascades
OR · 2,000–8,000 ft
Central Oregon / Deschutes
OR · 3,500–9,000 ft
South Cascades / Klamath
OR · 4,000–9,000 ft
Wallowa Mountains
OR · 3,500–9,500 ft
Blue Mountains
OR · 4,000–8,000 ft
NW IL Driftless
IL · 600–1,200 ft
SW Michigan
MI · 580–1,000 ft
Central MI
MI · 700–1,400 ft
Northern Lower Peninsula
MI · 600–1,700 ft
Upper Peninsula
MI · 600–1,979 ft
WI Driftless Area
WI · 650–1,700 ft
Central WI
WI · 750–1,400 ft
Northern WI
WI · 1,000–1,950 ft
Eastern IA River Valleys
IA · 550–1,100 ft
SE MN Driftless
MN · 650–1,350 ft
Central MN
MN · 900–1,500 ft
Catskills / Hudson Valley
NY · 400–4,180 ft
Finger Lakes / Central NY
NY · 500–2,000 ft
Apalachicola National Forest
FL · 10–300 ft
Myakka / Southwest Florida
FL · 5–100 ft
Acadia / Down East
ME · 0–1,530 ft
Western Maine
ME · 400–4,170 ft
Northern Maine
ME · 500–5,267 ft
White Mountains
NH · 800–6,288 ft
Lakes Region / Southern NH
NH · 300–1,800 ft
Green Mountains
VT · 800–4,393 ft
Northeast Kingdom
VT · 600–3,300 ft
Berkshires / Western MA
MA · 500–3,491 ft
Willamette Valley / Columbia Gorge
OR · 200–1,500 ft
Turtle Mountain SF
ND · 1,800–2,400 ft
Pembina Gorge
ND · 850–1,500 ft
Black Hills NF
SD · 3,200–7,242 ft
Custer NF / Slim Buttes
SD · 3,000–4,000 ft
Pine Ridge / Oglala NG
NE · 3,400–5,000 ft
Niobrara River Valley
NE · 1,900–2,700 ft
Superior NF / BWCA
MN · 1,300–2,301 ft
Chippewa NF
MN · 1,200–1,500 ft
NE Iowa Driftless / Effigy Mounds
IA · 650–1,250 ft
Atchafalaya Basin
LA · 5–50 ft
Adirondacks
NY · 1,000–5,344 ft
Mobile-Tensaw Delta
AL · 0–50 ft
Congaree NP
SC · 100–200 ft
Okefenokee / SE GA
GA · 100–200 ft
Blackwater / FL Panhandle
FL · 50–300 ft
MN North Shore / Sawtooth
MN · 600–2,301 ft
SE South Dakota / Newton Hills
SD · 1,300–1,550 ft
Sheyenne NG Oak Savanna
ND · 1,000–1,350 ft
Minnesota River Valley
MN · 800–1,150 ft
Trap Pond / DE Bald Cypress
DE · 20–80 ft
Pocomoke / Eastern Shore
MD · 0–50 ft
Great Swamp / Central RI
RI · 10–120 ft
Catskills North / Mountain Lakes
NY · 800–4,000 ft
Hiawatha NF / Eastern UP
MI · 600–1,100 ft
Huron NF / Lower MI
MI · 600–1,200 ft
Chequamegon NF / NW WI
WI · 1,000–1,900 ft
Black River SF / Driftless WI North
WI · 750–1,400 ft
Mid-Coast Maine
ME · 0–800 ft
Connecticut River Valley / NH
NH · 300–1,500 ft
Nebraska NF / Bessey (Sandhills)
NE · 2,500–3,200 ft
Growing Requirements
Min Soil Temp
55°F
Moisture Need
rain 0.5in 7d
Drought Tolerance
moderate
Elevation Range
0–13,800 ft
Look-Alikes
Species to rule out before picking. Each is tagged with its own edibility.
Cortinarius spp. (Webcaps)
DeadlyCortinarius includes deadly orellanine species (these are orange-brown, not purple). Always check the spore print — Laccaria is white; Cortinarius is rust-brown.
Identification Tips
- ✓White spore print = Laccaria (not Cortinarius)
- ✓Avoid picking in industrial or mine-affected areas — arsenic accumulator
Field Notes
Mossy woods
Found Amethyst Deceiver?
Photograph it and log your observation on iNaturalist. The community can help confirm your ID — always get confirmation before eating.
Safety: Never eat any wild mushroom without 100% certain identification from multiple sources. This page is for informational purposes only. When in doubt, throw it out.