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    Hydnellum species

    Hydnellum spp. P.Karst. · Bankeraceae

    Inedible

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Hydnellum species
    Photo: amadej trnkoczy (amadej) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Hydnellum species grow on the ground, have brown spines and corky flesh, and often bear red drops when young. They are inedible and, because of their rarity, often must not be collected.

    SeasonJuly to November
    Spore printbrown
    FamilyBankeraceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 3 to 12 cm wide, flat to domed, whitish to brown, often with red drops when young.
    2. Underside. Instead of gills it bears dense, brown spines.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is short, central and corky; there is no ring and no volva.
    4. Smell and taste. They smell mushroomy to musty and are inedible.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is tough, corky and slowly turns brown.

    Lookalikes

    They are tough, corky and inedible, and some species are rare and protected.

    Wood hedgehog Hydnum repandum

    edible
    Wood hedgehog
    Photo: Archenzo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    It smells pleasantly mushroomy and tastes mild when young, older fruiting bodies become slightly bitter, and its spore print is white. Hydnellum species, by contrast, are tough and corky, often grow fused together, have brown spines and sometimes bear red drops when young. Many species are rare and on the Red List, so leave them standing.

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    Side by side

    Hydnellum speciesShingled hedgehogWood hedgehogTerracotta hedgehogGolden chanterelle
    Cap3 to 12 cm wide, flat to domed5 to 20 cm, brown, coarse tile-like scalesbun yellow to pale ochre, 3 to 15 cm, irregularorange-red to reddish orange, 2 to 6 cm, often wavy2 to 10 cm, egg-yolk to yolk yellow
    Undersidespines: dense, brown spinesspines grey to grey-brown, decurrentspines whitish to pale yellow, run down the stem slightlyspines pale orange, do not run down the stemridges forked, blunt, decurrent, yellow
    Stemshort, centralshort, thick, light to grey-brownshort, thick, whitish, often lateralslender, central, whitish to pale orangesolid, yellow
    Fleshtough, corky, slowly turns brownwhitish to pale brown, brittlefleshy, brittlepale, brittlewhitish to pale yellow, firm, fibrous
    EdibilityInedibleedible with restrictionsedibleedibleedible

    Habitat & Season

    Acidic, mossy soils in coniferous woods. From the hills to the mountains.

    Host trees

    Conifers, mainly spruce and pine.

    Season

    possible good main season

    In coniferous woods, often in moss.

    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. These are not edible mushrooms: do not collect them 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.

    Why it is not edible

    Tough, corky, no culinary value.

    Leave standing because of their rarity and nature conservation.

    Frequently asked questions

    Are Hydnellum species edible?

    No, Hydnellum species are not edible. They are tough and corky, and some species are rare and protected.

    When and where do Hydnellum species grow?

    Hydnellum species grow from July to November in coniferous woods, often in moss, on acidic soils near spruce and pine, from the hills to the mountains.

    Which look-alikes can Hydnellum species be mistaken for?

    They can be mistaken for the wood hedgehog, the terracotta hedgehog, the golden chanterelle and the shingled hedgehog. The wood hedgehog smells pleasantly mushroomy and tastes mild when young, whereas Hydnellum species are tough and corky and have brown spines. The terracotta hedgehog is smaller and strongly orange-red, and its spines do not run down the stem. The golden chanterelle has forked ridges instead of spines and smells fruity of apricot. The shingled hedgehog has a brown cap with coarse, roof-tile-like protruding scales and grey-brown spines.

    How do you recognise Hydnellum species?

    The spore print is brown. The cap is 3 to 12 cm wide, flat to domed, whitish to brown, often with red drops when young.

    Related species

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    Sources

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

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