The Parrot Waxcap Mushroom or Parrot Toadstool is a colorful member of the genus Gliophorus.

What looks like glass, the small mushroom gets its unique and intense green color palette as part of its oozy phase during the fruiting stage. It later turns yellowish and even pink.

Parrot Waxcap location

The distinctive Parrot waxcap appears in small pockets across Britain and Ireland, particularly in undernourished grass fields during the summer and fall. 

Can you eat Parrot Waxcap Mushroom?

While the Parrot Waxcap fungi are edible, they taste slimy and are unlikely to add flavor to your food. Experts do not classify the Parrot Waxcap as a hallucinogenic mushroom, and no widely recognized reports confirm that it contains psychoactive substances. That being said, below are the four species of waxcaps recommended for eating.

Four Species of Waxcaps Recommended for Eating

Species Name	Scientific Name	Notes and Warnings
Meadow Waxcaps	Cuphophyllus pratensis (formerly Hygrocybe pratensis)	Recommended for culinary purposes.
Crimson Waxcaps	H. punicea	Safe to consume.
Snowy Waxcaps	Cuphophyllus virgineus	Common but stress caution, similar to poisonous clitocybe species like fool’s funnel (c.rivulosa) and c.dealbata.
Scarlet Hood	H. coccinea	Reasonably tasty but too scarce for regular consumption.

If you’re lucky enough to spot these bright green slick beauties, consider leaving them alone in their glistening glory and photographing them instead.