Back Story:

Amanita muscaria is by far the most recognizable mushroom on the planet. Their bright red-orange caps with white warts are akin a beautiful stop light in the middle of the woods. I came across a ton of them this last year, but these three (there’s a little guy under the back right of the front one) were growing in too perfect of a formation not to capture and share them.  

In my area, they like to grow around White Fir and Lodgepole pine trees and tend to prefer the same environments as the delicious King Bolete (Boletus edulis). They have been speculated to be part of the Christmas Santa Claus story, as shamans used to travel in snowy climates by reindeer pulled sleds, and would come down the chimney with sacks of them as gifts due to high snowpack blocking the doors. They are used in low amounts by many for their anxiety and general pain reducing qualities, and also for treatment of insomnia. They are hallucinogenic at higher doses, but the experience is reportedly not an enjoyable one.