Bitter tooth Sarcodon scabrosus
inedibleIt is mostly rare, does not reach the size of the shingled hedgehog and tastes strongly bitter. The stem base is blackish to greenish-blackish. Inedible because of the bitterness.
Identification in 5 steps
The shingled hedgehog is a sturdy tooth fungus with a light to dark brown cap densely covered in upright scales, like hawk plumage. Underneath it has soft grey spines. Young mushrooms are considered edible; older ones taste bitter. Its population is declining in many regions.
SeasonJune to November
Spore printbrown
FamilyBankeraceae
- Cap. The cap is 5 to 15 cm, rarely up to 30 cm wide, light brown to blackish brown, flat-domed or funnel-like depressed in the centre. The upper side is densely covered with pointed scales that stand up and out.
- Underside. Instead of gills it has pale grey to grey, soft spines up to 1 cm long, which run slightly down the stem. As it ripens, the spores tint them purple-brown.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is often short and stocky, 5 to 8 cm long and 2 to 5 cm thick. It is whitish at first and browns from the base upwards. There is no ring and no volva. At the base it can be fused with other fruiting bodies.
- Smell and taste. It smells and tastes pleasantly spicy; older mushrooms taste somewhat bitter.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is whitish at first and turns grey to brown with age.
Lookalikes
Instead of gills it has soft grey spines and a brown cap with scales standing up and out. Poisonous look-alikes among the tooth fungi are not believed to exist, but older mushrooms taste bitter. Some people may get gastrointestinal upset.
Hydnellum species Hydnellum spp.
inedible
Their flesh shows zoning; it is tough and corky. The most reliable feature: in the shingled hedgehog the flesh is not zoned. Many species are rare and on Red Lists, so leave them standing. Inedible.
Wood hedgehog Hydnum repandum
edible
It has a buff-yellow cap that is smooth to slightly scaly, and whitish to pale yellow, brittle spines. The most reliable feature: its spore print is white, while that of the shingled hedgehog is brown. Also edible.
View on the mapSide by side
| Shingled hedgehog | Bitter tooth | Hydnellum species | Wood hedgehog | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | light to blackish brown, 5 to 15 cm, scales standing up | brown, scaly, mostly smaller | whitish to brown, often fused together | buff-yellow to pale orange-ochre, without coarse scales |
| Underside | pale grey to grey, soft spines, slightly decurrent | grey to brown spines | brown spines | whitish to pale yellow, brittle spines |
| Stem | short, stocky, whitish to brownish | base blackish to greenish-blackish | short, corky | short, thick, whitish |
| Flesh | fleshy, bitter with age | fleshy, strongly bitter | tough, corky, zoned flesh | fleshy, brittle |
| Edibility | Edible with caution | inedible | inedible | edible |
Habitat & Season
Soils low to moderately rich in bases and poor in nutrients, in beech and spruce-fir woods, also in spruce plantations. The fruiting bodies grow from the soil, not from wood. Prefers higher altitudes, also in the lowlands.
Host trees
Beech, spruce and fir.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Often grows in fairy rings and prefers higher altitudes, but also occurs in the lowlands.
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.
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.
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
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
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
The population in Germany has been declining since 1970 and has already disappeared in large parts of individual federal states. It is better to leave rare finds standing.
In the kitchen
Fry young mushrooms in slices. Larger specimens can be freed of bitter compounds by blanching them and pouring away the cooking water. Dried and ground, it serves as a spicy mushroom powder for sauces and soups; the dosage takes experience. Cook for at least 15 minutes.
Can be dried and ground into mushroom powder. Indigestible raw or insufficiently heated. Older specimens taste bitter.
- Never eat wild mushrooms raw, and always cook them for at least 15 minutes.
- Use only young, fresh, maggot-free mushrooms that you have identified with certainty.
- Carry mushrooms in an airy basket, not in plastic bags, and process them on the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Is the shingled hedgehog edible?
Yes, young fruiting bodies in particular are suitable for eating. Older ones taste bitter. It must always be cooked sufficiently; raw or insufficiently heated, it is indigestible.
How do you recognise the shingled hedgehog?
By the brown cap with scales standing up and out, the soft grey spines on the underside and the brown spore print.
What can the shingled hedgehog be confused with?
With the wood hedgehog, which is edible and has a white spore print, with the bitter tooth (Sarcodon scabrosus) and with Hydnellum species, whose flesh is zoned and tough. Poisonous look-alikes among the tooth fungi are not believed to exist.
Where does the shingled hedgehog grow?
In beech and spruce-fir woods and in spruce plantations on nutrient-poor soils, often in fairy rings.
Related species
- Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea
- Slippery Jack Suillus luteus
- Blusher Amanita rubescens
- Lurid bolete Suillellus luridus
- Peppery bolete Chalciporus piperatus
- Grey spotted amanita Amanita excelsa
Sources
- Wikipedia: Habichtspilz
- GBIF: Sarcodon imbricatus (L.) P.Karst.
- Index Fungorum: Namensabfrage Sarcodon imbricatus
Photo credits
- Photo: Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Hydnellum species: Photo: amadej trnkoczy (amadej) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wood hedgehog: Photo: Archenzo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.