The Lawn Mower Mushroom can be found growing alone right up to large groups on lawns, in meadows, and in other grassy areas. It is very common and widely distributed in the Pacific Northwest during late spring, summer and fall.
The cap is from up to 3 cm wide with a conical or bell-shaped but becoming convex or nearly flat as it ages, it may become cracked in dry weather. It is dark brown to cinnamon brown, changing to light brown, tan, or buff as it dries out.
The gills are notched and can be attached to the stem, the gills are brown, becoming darker brown; sometimes with a mottled appearance. The stem is up to 8 cm long, up to 4 mm thick, mostly even, but sometimes they can have an enlarged base. The flesh is quite fragile, and the spore print is dark brown to purple-brown.
The lawn mower mushroom is one of the most common and widely distributed lawn mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest, and it often grows in large numbers. This mushroom is mildly poisonous and should not be eaten by children or adults, try to keep your pets from eating them as they can have a serious effect on cats’ livers and kidneys and can make dogs ill. Many dogs have not survived after eating these mushrooms. They will eat them by accident when they are eating grass.
As a parent, l always taught my children not to eat anything from the lawn or forest without showing me first. This led to some great chances to teach them about the plants or mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.