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Landslide MushroomPsilocybe caerulescens
Edibility
Toxic
Lookalike Danger
4 / 5
Habitat
🌱 Disturbed clay soil
Season
May – Sep
"The Mexican “derrumbe”. María Sabina used these in Oaxaca; Gordon Wasson brought them to American attention in 1955. Disturbed clay soils in GA, AL, LA too."
🌳 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.
Disturbed Ground
Edge / compacted soil
Saprobic substrate
Road edges, construction scars, trail sides, and compacted disturbed soil — orange peel fungus, alcohol inky, common edge colonizers.
The Mexican "derrumbe" — Spanish for landslide. Used in traditional Mazatec ceremonies by curandera María Sabina, whom R. Gordon Wasson visited in 1955; his Life magazine article that year introduced this species to the English-speaking world. Slimy brown cap on a slender white stem, bluing strongly when bruised.
Habitat
Disturbed clay soils after rain — landslides, road cuts, eroded slopes. Native range is Oaxaca and adjacent Mexican highlands; populations also documented in the southeastern US (GA, AL, LA).
Look for this on the ground
Lawn and wood-chip edge
Manicured lawn meeting fresh hardwood mulch — suburban edge habitat.
Season Windows by Region
Region
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Chattahoochee National Forest
GA · 1,200–4,784 ft
Talladega NF
AL · 700–2,407 ft
Sumter NF (Andrew Pickens)
SC · 800–3,500 ft
Oconee NF / GA Piedmont
GA · 400–800 ft
Atchafalaya Basin
LA · 5–50 ft
Tuskegee NF / East-Central AL
AL · 150–600 ft
Ocmulgee / Central GA Piedmont
GA · 250–750 ft
Nantahala NF / Western NC
NC · 1,800–5,500 ft
Growing Requirements
Min Soil Temp
60°F
Moisture Need
rain 0.5in 7d
Drought Tolerance
moderate
Elevation Range
5–5,500 ft
Commonly Mistaken For
Species people confuse with this one — often the edible they were hunting for. Each is tagged with its own edibility; Landslide Mushroom is the dangerous one.
Stropharia, Hypholoma species
ToxicOther dark-spore mushrooms on disturbed soil. Bluing reaction separates Psilocybe.
Identification Tips
- ✓Disturbed soil substrate is diagnostic — fruits after rain on bare earth
- ✓Strong blue bruising on cut tissue
- ✓Slimy/viscid cap surface when wet
Field Notes
Disturbed clay soil
Found Landslide Mushroom?
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.