Nordic mushrooms – get to know the species
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ÄggkremlaRussula vitellina Egg waxcapHygrophorus karstenii Meadow champignonAgaricus campestris Meadow waxcapCuphophyllus pratensis s.lat. Apricot brittlegillRussula risigallina Asp boleteLeccinum aurantiacum Bagnoli truffleTuber mesentericum Bishop's mitreGyromitra infula Bitter riddarmusseronTricholoma aestuans Birch boleteLeccinum scabrum Wood blewitLepista nuda Blek fingersvampRamaria pallida Pale chanterelleCantharellus pallens Pale oyster mushroomPleurotus pulmonarius Pale false morelGyromitra gigas Pale hedgehog mushroomHydnum repandum Blood mushroomAgaricus silvaticus Blood boleteNeoboletus luridiformis Cauliflower fungusSparassis crispa Henbane mushroomEntoloma sinuatum Bread polyporeAlbatrellus confluens Charcoal burnerRussula cyanoxantha Brun flugsvampAmanita regalis Bay boleteImleria badia Lemon slimecapGomphidius glutinosus DjävulssoppRubroboletus satanas Grape coral fungusRamaria botrytis Oak russulaRussula melliolens Fire boleteSuillellus luridus EldspindlingCortinarius limonius False rut boleteXerocomellus porosporus Sheep polyporeAlbatrellus ovinus Velvety porciniBoletus reticulatus Shaggy ink capCoprinus comatus Scaly tooth fungusSarcodon imbricatus Spotted chanterelleCantharellula umbonata Mottled BoleteLeccinum variicolor Shaggy ParasolMacrolepiota excoriata Sheathed WoodtuftKuehneromyces mutabilis Frost WaxcapHygrophorus hypothejus var. hypothejus GallkremlaRussula fellea GallmusseronTricholoma virgatum GallsoppTylopilus felleus Yellow-staining MushroomAgaricus xanthodermus Funeral BellGalerina marginata GiftkremlaRussula emetica GifttrådingInosperma erubescens GifttrattskivlingClitocybe rivulosa MatsutakeTricholoma matsutake Grå bläcksvampCoprinopsis atramentaria Grey Pine MilkcapLactarius semisanguifluus Spruce MilkcapLactarius deterrimus Spruce BrittlegillRussula favrei Green-spotted MilkcapLactarius semisanguifluus Green BrittlegillRussula aeruginea Granular BoleteSuillus granulatus Yellow Sheep PolyporeAlbatrellus citrinus Gulbandad spindlingCortinarius gentilis Golden BrittlegillRussula aurea Yellow BrittlegillRussula claroflava Autumn BlewitLepista saeva Giant PuffballLangermannia gigantea JättetickaMeripilus giganteus Comb Coral MushroomClavulina cristata ChanterelleCantharellus cibarius Rimmed BrittlegillRussula vesca CepBoletus edulis Marsh BoleteLeccinum holopus Bell MorelGyromitra infula Bulbous AgaricusAgaricus sylvicola Coral PolyporeGrifola frondosa Wrinkled ChanterelleCraterellus undulatus King AgaricusAgaricus augustus Lamb PolyporeAlbatrellus ovinus Larch BoleteSuillus grevillei LokspindlingCortinarius callisteus Death CapAmanita phalloides Almond BrittlegillRussula integra Almond MilkcapLactifluus volemus MjölskivlingClitopilus prunulus Scaly Hedgehog MushroomSarcodon squamosus Fairy Ring MushroomMarasmius oreades Olive Herring BrittlegillRussula clavipes Orangebrun giftspindlingCortinarius orellanus Ear BoleteSuillus bovinus Oyster MushroomPleurotus ostreatus Panther CapAmanita pantherina Pepper MilkcapLactarius rufus PluggskivlingPaxillus involutus s.lat. Rhubarb BoleteAlbatrellus subrubescens RättikmusseronTricholoma stiparophyllum Frosted Ring BoleteCortinarius caperatus Fly AgaricAmanita muscaria s. lat. Brown Larch BoleteSuillus grevillei var. clintonianus Red-brown CepBoletus pinophilus Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog MushroomHydnum rufescens s. lat. Yellowfoot TrumpetCraterellus lutescens Blushing ParasolChlorophyllum rhacodes RökslöjskivlingHypholoma capnoides Rose Pink WaxcapGomphidius roseus Round MorelMorchella vulgaris Cracked BoleteXerocomellus chrysenteron Sammetsfotad pluggskivlingTapinella atrotomentosa Velvet BoleteXerocomus subtomentosus Sand BoleteSuillus variegatus Scarlet WaxcapHygrocybe punicea SenapskremlaRussula ochroleuca SidentrådingInocybe geophylla Silky TricholomaTricholoma columbetta Herring BrittlegillRussula xerampelina Bearded MilkcapLactarius torminosus Woodland AgaricusAgaricus sylvaticus Slippery JackSuillus luteus Snowball AgaricusAgaricus arvensis Summer truffleTuber aestivum Smoky waxcapHygrophorus camarophyllus Stacked scalycapChlorophyllum olivieri False morelGyromitra esculenta Parasol mushroomMacrolepiota procera StorkremlaRussula paludosa Strandäng meadow mushroomAgaricus bernardii Striped webcapTricholoma portentosum Black saddleHelvella lacunosa Black trumpetCraterellus cornucopioides Svavelgul slöjskivlingHypholoma fasciculare Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus sulphureus Pine saffron milkcapLactarius deliciosus Scots pine scaberLeccinum vulpinum Brick red brittlegillRussula decolorans Tegelröd slöjskivlingHypholoma lateritium Brick boleteLeccinum versipelle Deadly webcapCortinarius rubellus MorelMorchella esculenta ToppvaxskivlingHygrocybe conica YellowfootCraterellus tubaeformis Roadside mushroomAgaricus bitorquis St. George's mushroomCalocybe gambosa Scaly puffballLycoperdon perlatum VinkremlaRussula vinosa Wine-red milkcapLactarius sanguifluus Velvet shankFlammulina velutipes Violet webcapLepista nuda Destroying angelAmanita virosa White saddleHelvella crispa White king oyster mushroomAgaricus augustus White hedgehog mushroomHydnum albidum White-brown waxcapHygrophorus glutinifer White-footed aspen boleteLeccinum albostipitatum White-grey waxcapHygrophorus korhonenii Vitgul flugsvampAmanita citrina
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Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog Mushroom

Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog Mushroom

Hydnum rufescens s. lat.
Edible
★★★☆☆
Taste rating: 3 out of 5

How to identify it

Cap
The cap is orange-yellow to red-orange, often irregularly rounded with a wavy margin. The surface is smooth or slightly scaly.
Underside
The underside has distinct, soft spines that run a short way down the stem. The spines are an important feature of the genus.
Stem
The stem is paler than the cap, firm and solid. It is usually central or slightly off-centre.
Smell
Mild, pleasant mushroom smell.

Occurrence and habitat

Ground-dwelling mycorrhizal mushroom in both coniferous and deciduous woodland. Occurs on mossy forest ground and can often be found with other hedgehog mushrooms.

Look-alike species

These mushrooms can resemble Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog Mushroom. Look closely at features, habitat and images to see the differences.

Hedgehog mushroom
Hedgehog mushroom
Hydnum repandum
★★★★★
Excellent edible mushroom

The hedgehog mushroom is normally much paler, whitish to cream-coloured, while the red-yellow hedgehog mushroom has a yellow-orange to red-orange cap.

Read more about Hedgehog mushroom ›

Preparation

Remove needles and soil. Young specimens can be fried after cleaning. Older spines can be scraped off if they feel coarse. Cook thoroughly.

Recipe suggestions

Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog Mushroom in cream sauce: fry in butter until the liquid has evaporated, add cream, salt, black pepper and a little thyme. Serve with potatoes or pasta.

Images – study the mushroom from several angles

Click an image to display it as the main image.

Main image – Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog Mushroom
Main image
Cap / Top – Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog Mushroom
Cap / Top
Underside – Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog Mushroom
Underside
Stem – Red-and-Yellow Hedgehog Mushroom
Stem
⚠ Important safety information

Hedgehog mushrooms should be identified carefully. The red-yellow colour and distinct spines are important, but colour alone is not sufficient for reliable identification.

Facts and sources

Sources
Svampguiden; SLU Artdatabanken/Artfakta. Current species delimitation is given here in the broad sense.
Batch 11 supplemented – should be finally checked against current