Mousseron

Other Names

Fairy ring, Scotch bonnet

Latin Name

Marasmius oreades

Usually Found In

UK, Europe, the USA, Canada

Season

April to May, then September to October

Surrounded by mystery for centuries, mousserons are the perfect natural props for any fairytale. Rumoured to be prevalent throughout the Stonehenge circle, mousserons belong to the family Marasmius, which are all known as ‘fairy ring mushrooms’ because they often grow together in circles. Many folk laws and legends imbue these light-brown mushrooms with significance, with some suggesting they are the work of fairies themselves, when of course in fact they are connected by a ecological system below the grass they grow on. The French name ‘mousseron’ simply means to grow on moss.