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    Hornbeam bolete

    Leccinum carpini (R.Schulz) M.M.Moser ex D.A.Reid · Boletaceae

    ✓ EdibleRisk of confusion: low

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Hornbeam bolete
    Photo: Albarubescens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
    Hornbeam bolete
    Photo: Davide Puddu · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The hornbeam bolete is a scaber stalk with a wrinkled, olive-brown cap that grows under hornbeams. Its flesh turns pink to grey-violet and blackish when cut.

    SeasonJune to October
    Spore printolive brown
    FamilyBoletaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 4 to 12 cm wide, grey-brown to olive brown, wrinkled to pitted, and often cracked into patches with age.
    2. Underside. The tubes are whitish to grey and darken when pressed.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is whitish with dark, blackish scales. There is no ring or volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells and tastes mild.
    5. Flesh and colour change. When cut, the flesh turns pink, then grey, then violet-black.

    Lookalikes

    The genus Leccinum is specially protected in Germany; take only small amounts for personal use.

    Habitat & Season

    Loamy soils, parks and woods. Lower elevations.

    Host trees

    Hornbeam, less often hazel.

    Season

    possible good main season

    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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    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.

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    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Only eat mushrooms you have identified with certainty, and always cook them thoroughly.

    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

    Specially protected under BArtSchV Annex 1 (Leccinum spp.); small quantities for personal use are allowed.

    No species-specific rule known.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    In the kitchen

    Fried or in mixed dishes; the flesh turns dark when cooked. Cook thoroughly for at least 15 minutes.

    Possible.

    Frequently asked questions

    Hornbeam bolete: is it edible?

    Yes, it is considered an edible mushroom. Cook thoroughly for at least 15 minutes. The genus Leccinum is specially protected in Germany; take only small amounts for personal use.

    Hornbeam bolete: when and where does it grow?

    In central Europe the season runs from June to October. Tree partners and habitat: Hornbeam, less often hazel. Soil: Loamy soils, parks and woods. Elevation: Lower elevations.

    Hornbeam bolete: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Bitter bolete (Tylopilus felleus, inedible): It has a net pattern instead of scales on the stem and tastes bitter. Other lookalikes: Brown birch bolete.

    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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