Hunting the mystical matsutake each fall in the Oregon dunes has becoming a tradition for us. Intrepid hunters can find them into Mexico and also on the East Coast. Many people are familiar with matsutake because they can attract hordes of commercial hunters. Or maybe because they fetch a huge price, can look phallic, smell unique and are generally somewhat of a mystery.
Whatever the case, lets talk about them! Kristen with a Matsie in a Colorado lodgepole pine forest. The matsutake grows most abundantly in the Pacific Northwest. Typically found in in lodgepole pine forests or mixed conifer with pines, it can be found with many other trees potentially.
Most matsutake are found in the West in a wide variety of locales from September through January. Habitats range from tanoak-madrone forests in Northern California, to pine forests in central Oregon, to the dunes in coastal Oregon or PNW forests generally all the way up into BC. They can be found in the Rockies, the upper Midwest and the East Coast too, but not in the the same quantities and are therefore considered elusive.
They can be found with ponderosa pines, lodgepole pines, shore pines, douglas fir, true firs, hemlock, tanoaks or pacific madrones. Regardless of where you hunt, the important thing to know is that matsutake have a serious relationship with a tree, and knowing the type of tree in your area is essential.
Matsutake are always found growing in sandy soil, more specifically a sandy layer of soil called spodosol or podzol. The stem butt will always show signs of the fine, gritty sand — no exceptions. Sometimes that soil is a geographic feature of the local area. Sometimes that special type of soil is because of previous volcanic activity in the area.
