bay bolete (Imleria badia)
Imleria badia is a common coniferous fungus with chestnut cap and yellow pores that discolour blue-green on printing. It is rich, very tasty and good for drying.
Scientific name: Imleria badia
Features
The cap is 4 to 15 cm wide, chestnut to dark brown, dry velvety and greasy when wet. The tubes and pores are pale yellow to olive yellow and blue on print distinctly. The stem is cylindrical, lighter brown than the cap, longitudinally brown striped to marbled and without net. Ring and volva are missing. It smells and tastes mildly mushroomy. The flesh is whitish to yellowish and blue in cut lightly, especially over the tubes. Olive brown
Habitat
Spruce, pine, larch, less often beech.. Acid soils, often between moss and roots.. From the coast to the Alps.
Season
June to November Main season from mid-September until the first frost.
Weather and fruiting
Handles cooler nights better than porcini; after rain the pores often bruise blue — an ID trait, not a toxin sign.
Lookalike risk
Bitter bolete: Its tubes are white to pink and blue not, the stem carries a dark net. Cep: It has a white stem net and non-blue tubes. Red cracking bolete: It has a cracked cap and reddish flesh at the stem base.
More regions
bay bolete · Scottish Highlands
Cool, wet Atlantic climate; season later and longer than in southern England.
bay bolete · Cairngorms
Upland granite and pine woods; elevation delays fruiting compared with the coast.
bay bolete · New Forest
Lowland mixed woods and heath; earlier season after mild, wet summers.
bay bolete · Lake District
High rainfall on western fells; valleys fruit earlier than high tarns.
bay bolete · Galloway
Mild, wet south-west Scotland with Sitka and mixed woodland.
More species
FAQ
What does the map show?
Weather-based foraging chances, not a guarantee that fruit bodies stand at the pin.
Can I eat this mushroom?
No page replaces identification. If unsure, leave it or ask an expert.
Bay bolete: is it edible?
Yes, it is an edible mushroom. Distinguish it safely from Tylopilus felleus; Imleria badia still store radioactive cesium regionally.
Bay bolete: when and where does it grow?
In central Europe the season runs June to November. Main season from mid-September until the first frost. Habitat: Spruce, pine, larch, less often beech.
Bay bolete: what are the lookalikes?
The most important distinction is from Bitter bolete (Tylopilus felleus, inedible): Its tubes are white to pink and blue not, the stem carries a dark net. Other lookalikes: Cep, Red cracking bolete.
When is a trip worth it?
Handles cooler nights better than porcini; after rain the pores often bruise blue — an ID trait, not a toxin sign.