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    Red-capped scaber stalk

    Leccinum aurantiacum (Bull.) Gray · Boletaceae

    ✓ EdibleRisk of confusion: low

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Red-capped scaber stalk
    Photo: About field station from Russia, edited by Ak ccm · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The red-capped scaber stalk is a large scaber stalk with an orange-red cap and a white stem with red-brown scales. It is protected and may be collected in Germany only in small quantities.

    SeasonJune to October
    Spore printolive brown
    FamilyBoletaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 6 to 20 cm wide, orange to foxy red and dry; the cap skin overhangs the margin.
    2. Underside. The tubes are whitish to grey.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is tall and whitish, with scales that are white at first and later rust brown. There is no ring or volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells and tastes mild.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and turns grey-violet to blackish when cut.

    Lookalikes

    Eat red-capped boletes only when well cooked; there have been cases of poisoning from undercooked ones.

    Habitat & Season

    Broadleaf woods, parks. From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Oak, hornbeam, also poplar.

    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

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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: Threatened, extent unknown

    In the kitchen

    Fried or braised; the flesh turns black when cooked. Cook thoroughly for at least 15 minutes.

    Well suited.

    Frequently asked questions

    Red-capped scaber stalk: is it edible?

    Yes, it is considered an edible mushroom. Cook thoroughly for at least 15 minutes. Eat red-capped boletes only when well cooked; there have been cases of poisoning from undercooked ones.

    Red-capped scaber stalk: when and where does it grow?

    In central Europe the season runs from June to October. Tree partners and habitat: Oak, hornbeam, also poplar. Soil: Broadleaf woods, parks. Elevation: From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Red-capped scaber stalk: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Aspen scaber stalk (Leccinum albostipitatum, edible): It grows under poplars, and its stem scales stay white for a long time. Other lookalikes: Foxy bolete.

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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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