| Fortunately for morel lovers, morels grow in almost | | | | Kansas, and other low-population states produce |
| every state of the USA and province of Canada, and | | | | morels. |
| in part of Mexico. They officially are found in all of the | | | | Morels need a looser substrate in which to spread their |
| USA except for Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico, | | | | root-like filaments. Theoretically, then, mountainous |
| Florida & Georgia, Alaska and Hawaii and the | | | | regions would not be suitable terrain. Yet, morels are |
| provinces of Saskatchewan and | | | | common in the Pacific Northwest, where leafy mulch |
| Newfoundland-Labrador. Yet, at least three varieties | | | | provides the needed soil conditions, and spring light, |
| are common in Manitoba, two in Saskatchewan, one | | | | moisture and warmth is abundant. |
| found in northern Georgia, and one in the eastern | | | | Half-free morels seem to deviate from their morel |
| regions of Alaska. | | | | cousins' preferred sites, growing well in the mossy |
| Morels are identified as at least 16 separate family | | | | shoulders of small creeks and drainage ditches. These |
| members, from the common yellow morel and black | | | | morels are found from the Dakotas to the maritime |
| morel to the half-free and western blond morel. While | | | | states and provinces, from Tennessee to Manitoba, |
| each is specific to a region, many of the taxons | | | | and along the Pacific states. |
| identified are almost indistinguishable from the common | | | | The classic black morel grows abundantly in the |
| yellow or black morel. | | | | Midwest, along the Pacific Northwest, Colorado & New |
| Generally, morels are found where winter | | | | Mexico, and even in Mississippi. |
| temperatures reach near or below freezing on a | | | | The classic yellow is even more wide-ranging, from |
| sustainable basis, where deciduous forests allow | | | | the west, throughout Manitoba and central Canada, |
| filtered light during the late spring season, where | | | | central and south central USA, and even the eastern |
| daytime temperatures are not above 80F during the | | | | seaboard states, while its sister, the Western Blond, is |
| fruiting season, and where the spider-like rooting | | | | commonly found in Wyoming, Oregon and Washington. |
| networks are able to penetrate and spread in the soil | | | | Even in the Yukon and eastern Alaska, a unique morel, |
| substrate. | | | | the fuzzy footed morel, can be found in abundance, |
| For these reasons, hot, arid regions do not host morels. | | | | venturing into British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, |
| Similarly, deep, dark evergreen forests are inhospitable | | | | Idaho and Colorado. |
| hosts. However, some varieties of mushrooms do | | | | All varieties are distinctively cone-shaped, and equally |
| grow beneath evergreens. At the same time, sandy, | | | | delicious. All are welcome spring snacks across all of |
| dry soils generally are not welcoming hosts. But morels | | | | North America, and can be found with a little |
| will grow in these soils where they adjoin more | | | | determination, and lots of luck. |
| beneficial soil substrates. Thus, New Mexico, Colorado, | | | | |