orchardmorels

ORCHARD MORELS

Pamela Kaminski

How would you like to find the most beautiful, largest, and prolific Morel Mushrooms this season?

Silly question, eh?

If your answer is "YES!", then get prepared to scout out some old apple orchards. This is where I have had my most religious Morel experiences. This is where I have needed 30-gallon garbage bags to bring in my haul. This is where I have seen Morel bunches of over 15 specimens growing tightly packed, just bubbling out of the ground. This is where I picked the largest Morel I have ever seen, 12 inches tall, with the head the size of a small cantaloupe!

No, I am not exaggerating!

So now that I've wet your appetite for the adventure of your life, I should bring you back down to earth by saying, "It's not easy!" The first obstacle you are likely to encounter is finding just the "right" kind of old apple orchard. Look for one that has been deserted by man for many years. It should be overgrown by sticker bushes and poison ivy, and perhaps the surrounding woods. I have found the best old orchards look to be virtually impassable, especially around the perimeter. With close inspection you should be able to find a way in, perhaps a deer path. Once inside, the going should get easier, but not always. If you're lucky, you will find rows of large, old apple trees, many dead or dying, some healthy but choked by the advancing undergrowth of stickers and ivy. And if you're really fortunate, MORELS! Best picking time for orchard Morels are when the trees are blooming through the time they drop their petals. Look under every tree you can, the best proliferation are usually under trees that are dying or have just died the year before. Although, I have counted 100 small Morels under one tree that appeared extremely healthy. I have also encountered mass fruiting around stumps of trees that were cut down the year before. Morchella esculenta is by far the prevalent species in old orchards, but I have also found Morchella semilibera and some early morels, like Verpa bohemica. I have never found a black morel in this habitat. Don't get discouraged if you don't find them right away even though the habitat looks right. Most orchards have "hot spots" or areas within the orchard where the Morels prefer to grow. Start by checking the warmer south or west sides.

Before I tell you the joys of going where no human has attempted to traverse for many years, I should tell you of some of the horrors you may encounter on your journey. I already mentioned a couple, the sticker bushes and poison ivy. You should wear clothes you don't mind getting ripped and torn from your body as you try to wiggle through small openings in a dense cover of sticker bushes, which are keeping you from a group of trees that look primo for a vast fruiting of Morels. Next, be sure to wear long sleeves and bring some lightweight gloves for pushing the jungle of poison ivy away from your face as you try to walk through the orchard. I like to wear a lightweight flannel shirt over my T-shirt so I can remove it when I get to a clearing or stop to rest from this hot, grueling hike. And, if that hasn't frightened you enough, be sure to wear a tight fitting hat to protect you from the hoards of ticks you are likely to encounter! I have been virtually covered with them from time to time. And, if you are afraid of snakes, don't go into an old, overgrown orchard. I was stopped dead in my tracks one time by a 6 foot black snake, standing, with most of it's body off the ground, staring me straight in the eyes! You mean you have never seen a snake "stand"? It was a shock to me I'll tell ya. I couldn't even find my breath to scream for my wandering comrades, and I like snakes! And, DON'T GET LOST! Some of the larger orchards can be very disorienting. Most have no trails and all the trees start looking alike. Bring a compass and plenty of water, and just in case, lots of bags for your bounty.

But I have saved the best for last. An old apple orchard can also be one of the most beautiful and exciting places on earth. Some of the orchards have surrealistic park-like clearings sprinkled with fallen apple blossom petals and breathtaking wildflowers. Their fragrances dance in the breeze. Besides the snakes, the wildlife abounds in these areas where humans fear to tread. I have run into many fawns, just born, curled in the grass. Songbirds are nesting and bees are humming. And of course, the Morels are fruiting. If you are diligent and fortunate enough to find one of these magical orchards, you will know what Alice felt like in Wonderland.

Epitaph:

Unfortunately, old orchards are considered prime real estate for developers. Most all of my orchards have been bulldozed and developed to pave the way for residental communities, corporate centers, and Wal-Marts! A piece of my heart has gone down with each tree.

Pamela Kaminski

March 2002

A bunch of Orchard Morels

Orchard Morels - note the poison ivy and apple bloosom petals