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    False chanterelle

    Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca (Wulfen) Maire · Hygrophoropsidaceae

    Inedible

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    Identification in 5 steps

    False chanterelle
    Photo: Bubulcus, edited by Ak ccm · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The false chanterelle is an orange funnel-shaped mushroom with true, thin, forked gills. It grows on conifer litter and rotting wood and is often mistaken for a chanterelle.

    SeasonAugust to December
    Spore printwhite to cream
    FamilyHygrophoropsidaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 2 to 8 cm wide, orange to orange-yellow, finely felty and funnel-shaped with an inrolled margin.
    2. Underside. The gills are bright orange, thin, crowded and forked several times. They separate easily from the cap.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is orange-brownish, often darker than the cap. There is no ring or volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It has no distinctive smell, and certainly not of apricots.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is soft, thin and pale orange.

    Lookalikes

    Not an edible mushroom; some people cannot tolerate it in larger amounts.

    Habitat & Season

    Acidic soils, conifer litter, rotting wood. From the lowlands to the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Coniferous woods, heaths; pine, spruce.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Especially after dry summers.

    Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

    There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

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    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Not an edible mushroom: do not collect it for the kitchen.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    Emergency: 112

    Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

    Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

    Austria

    Poison centre:

    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

    Emergency: 112 · 144

    Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

    Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    Salzburg: collecting inedible mushrooms is banned.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    Why it is not edible

    Low food value; in larger amounts it causes mild gastrointestinal upset in some people.

    Do not collect it to eat.

    Frequently asked questions

    False chanterelle: Is it edible?

    No, it is regarded as inedible. Not an edible mushroom; some people cannot tolerate it in larger amounts.

    False chanterelle: When and where does it grow?

    In Central Europe the season runs from August to December. Especially after dry summers. Partner and habitat: coniferous woods, heaths; pine, spruce. Soil: acidic soils, conifer litter, rotting wood. Altitude: from the lowlands to the hills and mountains.

    False chanterelle: What are its lookalikes?

    The most important one to rule out is the jack-o'-lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius, poisonous): it grows in clusters on broadleaved wood and is larger. Other lookalikes: chanterelle.

    Related species

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    Sources

    Photo credits

    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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