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    Red cracking bolete

    Xerocomellus chrysenteron (Bull.) Šutara · Boletaceae

    ✓ EdibleRisk of confusion: medium

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Red cracking bolete
    Photo: H. Krisp, edited by Ak ccm · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The red cracking bolete is a common small bolete with a cap cracked into patches, yellow pores and a reddish stem. It is edible, but often quickly becomes maggoty or mouldy.

    SeasonJuly to November
    Spore printolive brown
    FamilyBoletaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 3 to 8 cm wide, grey-brown to olive-brown, velvety and soon cracking into patches, reddish in the cracks.
    2. Underside. The tubes and pores are yellow to olive-yellow, often with a greenish tinge, and turn blue when pressed.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is slender, yellow at the top and flushed red below, without a net. There is no ring and no volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It has an unremarkable smell and tastes mild to slightly sour.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is yellowish, reddish in the stem base, and turns slightly blue.

    Lookalikes

    Older specimens are often infested with the poisonous golden mould; take only young, clean mushrooms.

    Habitat & Season

    No special requirements. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Broadleaved and coniferous trees.

    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 beyond doubt, 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

    Not specially protected.

    No species-specific rule known.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    In the kitchen

    In mixed dishes, fried. Cook thoroughly.

    Possible. White to golden-yellow, furry coatings on the tubes show golden mould (Hypomyces chrysospermus); throw such specimens away.

    Frequently asked questions

    Red cracking bolete: Is it edible?

    Yes, it is considered an edible mushroom. Cook thoroughly. Older specimens are often infested with the poisonous golden mould; take only young, clean mushrooms.

    Red cracking bolete: When and where does it grow?

    In Central Europe the season runs from July to November. Tree partners and habitat: Broadleaved and coniferous trees. Soil: No special requirements. Altitude: From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.

    Red cracking bolete: What are the look-alikes?

    The most important one to rule out is Bitter beech bolete (Caloboletus calopus, poisonous): It is larger and sturdier, has a net on the red stem and tastes bitter. Other look-alikes: Matte bolete, Suede 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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