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    Sulphur tuft

    Hypholoma fasciculare (Huds.) P.Kumm. · Strophariaceae

    Also: Clustered woodlover

    ☠ Poisonous

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Sulphur tuft
    Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The sulphur tuft grows in large clusters on stumps and has sulphur-yellow caps and greenish gills. It tastes bitter and causes gastrointestinal poisoning.

    SeasonMay to December
    Spore printviolet-brown
    FamilyStrophariaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 2 to 7 cm wide, sulphur yellow with an orange-brownish centre.
    2. Underside. The gills are sulphur yellow to greenish when young, later olive green to blackish violet.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is yellow and fibrous, with a short-lived ring zone dusted dark, but no membranous ring. There is no volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It tastes very bitter. For beginners, a taste test is not necessary here; the greenish gills are enough.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is sulphur yellow.

    Lookalikes

    A common clustered mushroom on wood; it is mistaken for honey fungus and sheathed woodtuft.

    Habitat & Season

    Stumps, roots, also buried wood. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Broadleaved and conifer wood, mainly pine and European beech.

    Season

    possible good main season

    In mild weather also in winter.

    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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    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Poisonous mushroom: do not eat. If you suspect it has been eaten, call the poison emergency line immediately.

    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.

    Salzburg: Collecting poisonous mushrooms is banned, except single specimens for identification.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    Poisoning

    ToxinFasciculols and other bitter compounds.
    SyndromeGastrointestinal syndrome.
    OnsetUsually within a few hours.
    What to do now: Call the poison centre immediately (NHS 111, England) and, in case of severe symptoms, the emergency number 999 / 112. Do not induce vomiting, and do not give milk or salt water. Keep leftover mushrooms, cleaning scraps and vomit for identification, and tell everyone who ate with you, as they should also be examined.

    Frequently asked questions

    Sulphur tuft: Is it edible?

    No, it is poisonous. A common clustered mushroom on wood; it is mistaken for honey fungus and sheathed woodtuft. If you suspect poisoning, call the poison centre immediately (numbers for your country below).

    Sulphur tuft: When and where does it grow?

    In Central Europe the season runs from May to December. In mild weather also in winter. Tree partners and habitat: Broadleaved and conifer wood, mainly pine and European beech. Soil: Stumps, roots, also buried wood. Altitude: From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.

    Sulphur tuft: What are the look-alikes?

    The most important one to rule out is Honey fungus (Armillaria mellea, edible with restrictions): It has a distinct ring and whitish gills. Other look-alikes: Conifer tuft, Sheathed woodtuft.

    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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