The sickener Russula emetica
poisonous
The sickener tastes burning hot, the hintapink mild. It usually has a pure white stem and white gills. Taste test, spit it out. Poisonous, causes vomiting.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The hintapink has a blood-red to carmine-red cap of about 5 to 15 cm, white to cream-yellow gills and a stem tinged with red. It grows in damp conifer woods with spruce and pine. When dried, it smells of apple slices. It is mild and edible.
SeasonJuly to October
Spore printpale ochre
FamilyRussulaceae
- Cap. The cap measures about 5 to 15 cm and is blood-red to carmine-red, often darker in the centre.
- Underside. The gills are white to cream-yellow and brittle.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is white, usually tinged with red, and stout. There is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. The taste is mild. When dried, it develops a smell of apple slices.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and brittle.
Lookalikes
The hintapink is an edible brittlegill with a red cap. Red brittlegills can be confused with poisonous sickeners, which taste hot. The hintapink tastes mild, so a taste test, spitting it out, is a must.
Copper brittlegill Russula decolorans
edibleIt is orange-red, and the flesh turns grey with age. Also mild and edible.
Side by side
| Hintapink | The sickener | Copper brittlegill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 5 to 15 cm, blood-red to carmine-red | cherry- to blood-red, glossy | orange-red, yellow-red |
| Underside | white to cream-yellow, brittle gills | pure white gills | white to cream gills |
| Stem | white, often tinged with red | white, no red tone | white, grey with age |
| Flesh | brittle | brittle, hot-tasting | brittle |
| Edibility | Edible | poisonous | edible |
Habitat & Season
Damp conifer woods, bogs and sphagnum sites. No reliable information.
Host trees
Spruce and pine, mycorrhizal fungus.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Rough estimate; the fruiting period depends on the weather.
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.
Chance near you
How good are the chances of finding this species where you are right now? We calculate it from weather, soil moisture, altitude and forest at your location.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Only eat mushrooms you have identified beyond doubt, and always cook them thoroughly.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
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.
In the kitchen
As a pan dish, in sauces or steamed. Use young mushrooms. Cook for at least 15 minutes.
No reliable information on drying. When dried, an apple smell develops. Do a taste test before eating; do not use hot-tasting red brittlegills. Indigestible raw, always cook it well.
- Never eat wild mushrooms raw, and always cook them for at least 15 minutes.
- Use only young, fresh, maggot-free mushrooms that you have identified with certainty.
- Carry mushrooms in an airy basket, not in plastic bags, and process them on the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Is the hintapink edible?
Yes, it tastes mild and is considered edible. It must be cooked thoroughly.
How do I tell it from the sickener?
By the taste test: the sickener tastes burning hot, the hintapink mild. Do the test with only a small piece and spit it out. The hintapink also often has a stem tinged with red.
Why does it smell of apples?
When dried, it smells of apple slices.
Related species
- Charcoal burner Russula cyanoxantha
- Bare-toothed Russula Russula vesca
- Green-cracking russula Russula virescens
- Russet brittlegill Russula mustelina
- Russula amethystina Russula amethystina
- Nutty brittlegill Russula integra
Sources
- Wikipedia: Apfel-Täubling
- GBIF: Russula paludosa Britzelm.
- Index Fungorum: Namensabfrage Russula paludosa
Photo credits
- Photo: Toter Alter Mann · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- The sickener: Photo: Jason Hollinger · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.