# Destroying Angel (*Amanita*)

The Destroying Angel is a beautiful but deadly mushroom. It is important to be very careful around it!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Epic
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests
- **Also known as:** Angel of Death

![Destroying Angel](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424440/objects/5105.jpg)

## Appearance

The Destroying Angel has a pure white, smooth cap, often slightly sticky when wet. Its stalk is also white, featuring a fragile ring (annulus) and a distinctive, sac-like cup (volva) at its base. Unlike many white mushrooms, its gills are free and don't attach to the stem.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Amanitaceae
- **Genus:** Amanita

## Interesting facts

- Eating it causes severe liver and kidney damage, often irreversible.
- Just one Destroying Angel mushroom can contain enough poison to kill an adult!
- Symptoms might not appear for hours, making it incredibly dangerous.
- There's no specific antidote; treatment aims to remove the deadly toxins.

## Special abilities

- **Silent Slayer Toxin:** Destroying Angel produces amatoxins that powerfully destroy liver cells because these toxins interfere with cell processes.
- **Delayed Danger:** Destroying Angel has a delayed onset of symptoms (6-24 hours) that helps them avoid immediate detection by those who consume them.
- **Root Network Partner:** Destroying Angel forms beneficial mycorrhizal partnerships with tree roots that help both organisms gather vital nutrients.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Edible:** deadly
- **Size:** 5-15 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Late spring to fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Forms crucial underground mycorrhizal links.
- **Symbiotic with:** [Eastern White Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-white-pine) (*Pinus strobus*) — Shares nutrients with these conifer roots.
- **Eaten by:** Fungus Gnat (*Mycetophila fungorum*) — Larvae feed on mushroom tissues.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Poisonous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/poisonous): Poisonous organisms produce toxins that can cause harm when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through contact.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Destroying Angel?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Destroying Angel?

5-20 cm

### Is Destroying Angel edible?

deadly

### How big is Destroying Angel?

5-15 cm

### Where is Destroying Angel usually found?

Forests

### What does Destroying Angel grow on?

soil

### When is Destroying Angel in season?

Late spring to fall

### What color are Destroying Angel spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [The Green](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-green) — Delaware, US · Park
- [W.J. Freeman Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/w-j-freeman-park) — Tennessee, US · Park
- [Fort Christmas Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-christmas-historical-park) — Florida, US · Park
- [Muddy Hole Farm Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/muddy-hole-farm-park) — Virginia, US · Park
- [Gamble Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gamble-park) — British Columbia, CA · Park

[View all places to see Destroying Angel](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/destroying-angel)

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Destroying Angel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/destroying-angel)