The Blusher

The blusher is the common name applied to several closely related Amanita mushrooms, chiefly Amanita rubescens of Eurasia, whose flesh bruises pink wherever it is cut or damaged, the feature that gives the species its name. It grows in deciduous and coniferous woodland across Europe and Asia, fruiting from June through November. Although its cooked flesh is edible, the raw mushroom contains a toxic hemolytic protein, and its resemblance to poisonous Amanita species makes careful identification and thorough cooking essential.