Morchella elata

Morchella elata is a European black morel that fruits on soil in spring, classically in damp, burned-over conifer woods. It can live both as a saprotroph and in association with tree roots, which is why morels are hard to fruit indoors. Home growers have the best chance with outdoor beds that follow a cold winter and a cool, wet spring.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Very humid airBand in Plantistry

Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal rest

Where it grows wild

Fruits on soil in spring, often in damp, recently burned conifer woodland, and on disturbed ground. It is both saprotrophic and able to form mycorrhiza-like associations with trees.

Recorded from sea level to high mountains (median 890 m); the upper figure of 3750 m is probably a stray record.

Europe

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Morchella elata? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Morchella

Morchella rufobrunnea Morchella tridentina Morchella anatolica Morchella populiphila Morchella importuna Morchella sextelata Morchella snyderi Morchella disparilis Morchella arbutiphila Morchella galilaea Morchella punctipes Morchella semilibera All 108 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 3.0 licence, unmodified.