Common Puffball vs Giant Puffball
Lycoperdon perlatum and Calvatia gigantea are confused for one another often enough to be worth putting next to each other.
A genuinely tricky call: edible while pure white inside, but worthless once the flesh yellows — and young puffballs must always be sliced to rule out a baby Amanita.
Can reach football size. Edible only while pure white all the way through — yellowing means it is done.
Side by side
| Lycoperdon perlatum | Calvatia gigantea | |
|---|---|---|
| In this game | Inedible / unclear | Edible |
| Habitat | Woodland floor and clearings, in groups on soil and leaf litter. | Rich pasture, meadows, hedgerows and nettle patches. |
| Season | Summer to late autumn. | Summer to autumn. |
| Spore print | Olive-brown spore mass once ripe. | Olive-brown spore mass once ripe. |
This comparison cannot make a mushroom safe to eat. It sets out the few characteristics this game records, in general terms, for two species that vary by region, age and growing conditions. Real specimens overlap in ways no table and no photograph can separate, and the deadly one here is deadly in a single meal. Ask a qualified local expert, every time.
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Lycoperdon perlatum is also confused with Common Earthball.
Calvatia gigantea is also confused with Common Earthball.
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