Even though the habitats seem very similar, the differences I'm aware of are the soil moisture level (usually greater where
M. semilibera grow) and a few subtle foliage differences. I've found a few
Mitrophora before and they were all in a damp wood with Ash and Celandine. If I was looking for
Morchella, Id be concerned by the lack of Ground Ivy and Wood Anemone. Even though I've never had the pleasure in finding
M. esculenta, I'd expect to find it on higher ground and probably in quite close proximity to an Ash. However, fungi can be extremely
unpredictable so I wouldn't be that surprised to see either growing in a habitat made up of some of the aforementioned plants, and not the exact plants that they are 'supposed' to grow alongside...if only Morels read books- we'd all be in luck
That said, the latter species has eluded me for five years so my research notes are more than likely outdated.