One of the "blonde" morels. Common east of the Rockies but not confined to there, the species is a true morel in the esculenta clade, with about 36 known species. The fruiting bodies are shaped more or less like pine cones, with a honeycombed appearance of ridges and pits. The color is generally yellow-brown both in the pits and the ridges, which are irregular but tend towards a somewhat vertical arrangement without being ladder-like. The caps can reach up to 20cm tall and 6 cmm across, while the whitish to concolorous stipes may also reach ten or more centimeters in height. The stipes are hollow and tend to be swollen a bit at the base, but are smooth and never lacunose. The caps attoach to the stipe without any overhang. In age the ridges of the caps do not turn dark or blackish. The species favors hardwoods, especially ash, dying elms, tulip poplar, aspen, sycamore and cottonwood, and but can occur under conifers. West of the Rockies it is largely found under cottonwood trees. M. americana is a choice edible, but would be quite toxic if eaten raw. Cooking destroys the toxins.