Fool me once… The False Chanterelle
I love to feature all the lovely wild edible mushrooms I find (when I get the precious time), but every so often I have to include those annoying ‘look-a-likes’ so that we can all be aware of and be prepared for such party poopers!
The False Chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) is a very common and strikingly colourful mushroom, predominantly found in small to large groups, mainly in coniferous woodland. They can also be found on heathland too.
Although this mushroom is mainly an autumn species, I have often found it during late summer (just like the true Chanterelle) around early August, hence the reason I’m featuring it now at the end of July.
Myself and many other people have made the same mistake in thinking their luck was in – “Chanterelles – Fantastic”. Oh, how wrong we were. The Chanterelle (Chantharellus cibarius) has the same fruiting season (including late summer), habitat (as well as deciduous woods) and general size and appearance.
And as always, the devil is in the detail when distinguishing between the two. Size-wise, they can be very close, but other feature differences would seem quite obvious if you had either species side by side. But if you’re unfamiliar with both, then here’s what to look out for:
1. The Colour: The False Chanterelle tends to be a deeper Orange-Yellow compared to lighter egg yoke yellow of the True Chanterelle.
2. The Cap: The False Chanterelle has a fine ‘downy’ surface texture (esp. when younger). The True Chanterelle has a more distinctive ‘irregular’ wavy and lobed shape all round the edge.
3. The Gills: Although they both extend down the stem, The True Chanterelle has ‘false’ gills which are thicker and more fleshy.
4. The Smell: The False Chanterelle has a ‘mushroomy’ smell while the True Chanterelle has a very distinctive fruity, apricot-like odour.
3. Spore Print: To double check, you can take a spore print – False Chanterelle = white / True Chanterelle = Yellow/ochre.
Unfortunately, I don’t currently have any (True) Chanterelle images to show in comparison. I will add when I can at a later date of course.
The False Chanterelle has been known to be edible just like the True Chanterelle, but obviously not as superior in flavour etc. Some reference books have labelled it as harmless, but even though it isn’t deadly there have been reports from some people suffering unpleasant or alarming hallucinations. So I would recommend that nobody eat this mushroom.
And to finish, by adding confusion to the confusion, there’s are ‘look-a-like’ to this ‘look-a-like’ which I think most people in Southern Europe should be concerned about. The Jack o’ Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus olearius) has patchy distribution throughout Southern Europe (with rare sightings in UK and Northern Europe). Again, it looks very similar to the True and False Chanterelles but is definitely posionous. Have no fear though, these guys usually grow in tight groups on living or dead wood of deciduous trees (from the underground roots) so that rules out the others and the major feature the Jack o’ Lantern has is that it’s (mature) gills have an amazing phosphorescent property and glow very bright green in the dark. This I know only from research and I would love to find some and see the effect in action. So that’s a good excuse for a holiday in Southern Europe then aye!?
Keep your eyes out this Late summer/autumn time and I hope your Chanterelle hunting moments don’t get ruined by this naughty twin.
QUICK ID TABLE: FALSE CHANTERELLE Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca |
CAP / FLESH 2 -8 cm diametrre. Convex to funnel shaped. Often inrolled at the edge (margin). Orange-Yellow. STEM 3 – 5 cm x 0.5 – 1cm. Often curved. Same colour or darker than cap. GILLS / SPORE PRINT Decurrent, forked. Orange, thin and crowded. HABITAT / SEASON Coniferous woods, heaths. Very common. Late summer – autumn. EDIBILITY Said to be edible but reports of hallucinations recorded. |
Hi John,
Congrats’ on yet another find, I genuinly think the weather is having adverse affects on my mushroom hunting this year. This time last year, I encountered this fungus among many others that are nowhere to be seen this year. I’ve been to the East Riding of Yorkshire and back without finding a single fairy ring champignon/field mushroom! Now I would quite like your thoughts on this John as one would naturally assume constant rain to be beneficial for fungi, yet I can find no alternate explanation.
PS: I like the updated website :)
Hi Varsha
I know what you mean. I’ve had little luck with some mushrooms I normally see every year (I thought I’d see more with the rain). But on the other hand have found new species that I haven’t seen before (including a difficult Amanita species). Last year I only saw one group of Fairy Ring Champignons (a group of 4!) And this year they’re everywhere – you would think that would be the case for all species. In my experience I find that mushrooms never follow logical patterns. They fruit when they like and I’ve even heard of people following temperature, humidity, even phases of the moon! As far as I know there is no scientific explanation.
It has been an extremely wet summer so far, and I have seen mild effects on mushroom appearances. Sometimes though, I think, it can be too wet and be more of a deterrent to mushrooms fruiting – but that in all honesty is just a wild stab in the dark guess.
Most mushroom species usually don’t have to fruit at all. As long as the mycelium itself is thriving well. They fruit when they like and/or need to.
Hope that makes sense. It’s not the best answer in the world but I hope you see where I’m coming from.
All the best
John
It does make sense John, but at the same time it feels a bit backwards and frustrating. We were apparantly in a drought last year and even so, I managed to find an assortment fungi everywhere, I was like a child in a sweet shop! But this year, nada! I have seen some interesting slime mould kind of things though, and would be happy to show you if you fancied it, also maybe to help identify them?
But anyway, I wont give up, I shall keep searching!
Hi Varsha
Feel free to send me any pictures of fungi (slime moulds) for identification, although I often struggle with the moulds! but I’ve seen a lot of them too lately.
And just to say, I was out yesterday most of the day searching for anything and everything – not much luck at all, although you’ll probably be annoyed I found some branched Oyster mushrooms! Sorry – that was by only freak chance as they were hiding well in the undergrowth on a log. And in a way, with all this rain, haven’t you noticed so much more greenery and growth? A fair chunk of mushrooms don’t like competition with other growing plants etc. and if they do, then they’ve been pretty hard to spot lately. I only saw the slightest bit of white through the grass and plants in discovering the Oyster mushroom. And on the otherhand I probably missed a load more earlier – who knows?
Anyway, I have a good feeling this autumn will be a great harvest.
All the best
John
Can I ask; has anyone come across chanterelles this summer?
Although I have kept my eyes peeled…not a sign, except labelled as Girolles in the supermarket (from Hungary)
I found some Chanterelles in the Lake District near Grasmere, (mail me for exact location) but its the first time I’ve ever found any!
It great finding Chanterelles at any time. Keep your location secret, it will be (hopefully) a good spot for years to come.
Hi, not sure if you will receive this as it’s from a really old post! Just wondering if you’d be willing to give us details on where you found the Chanterelles near Grassmere please? We did a fungi foraging course in Scotland last year, but would love to find some a bit more closer to home. No worries if not as I know they are delicious.
Kind regards
Vicky x
For me, I’m struggling to find some this year so far, which is frustrating…
I am glad I am not the only one unable to find chanterelles this year. I have seen many, many other varieties of mushroom but no C’s. It’s a very sad state of affairs in my house this year. If anyone does spot any, please post!
Don’t worry Robyn. I will post when (or if) I find any this year. I need some good photos of Chanterelles. It is a bit sad that I can’t find any at all. I may get lucky though!
Wait a couple more weeks for chanterelles
I’m really looking forwarding to finding Chanterelles this season. Good luck with your hunting.
I found what I believe to be chanterelles. Can someone tell me for sure? How would I go about posting a picture?
Hi Shannon
You can send your mushroom Pictures to me for identification by clicking the Contact link at the top of the page in the side menu. Thanks.
PS. The picasa link you sent didn’t work! Sorry.
Same for me…found some (what I believe to be) Chanterelles. Could you have a quick look to check? I’ll email you the picture…
Yes. Feel free to send me the pictures to john@mushroomdiary.co.uk
If you’re not familiar with Chanterelles, they are very deceptive indeed. Happy to help.
Thanks, I have emailed you a couple of pics using your contact link at the top of the page. Let me know what you think, and thanks for looking.
Hi John. Sorry for the delay. I have sent you a reply and just to clarify – They definitely look like False Chanterelles. They have distinctive gills rather than the loose ‘gill-like’ fleshiness of the true Chanterelle.
Hi John,
A blatant plug, so i understand if you don’t want this public, but i’ve started a business selling wild but commercially picked mushrooms. I have Golden Chanterelles at the moment
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/boxcleverfoods/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3686
Don’t worry Mark. It appears to be a fantastic venture. So there you go viewers – Get your Golden Chanterelles here… Best of luck Mark…
John, my name is David and I live in Fairfield New Brunswick Canada. I had a bump in my paved drive way and thought I had a tree stump growing up through the 4 inches of pave. To my surprize when I removed the crumbled pavement away I found a mushroom. I took it to Natural resources and they believed it to be a False Chanterelle. My question is can such a flimsy plant push it’s way through 4 inches of 7 year old pavement.
David Gallant
Hi David
It is a phenomenon quite weird to behold, but I have seen it several times with different mushrooms. The age of the pavement may have been a factor in weakening it’s structure and the pressure created by some mushrooms can be very intense and simply break apart the surrounding material. One of the most common with this ability is the aptly named ‘Pavement Mushroom’ – see my post on it here: https://www.mushroomdiary.co.uk/2012/07/pavement-mushroom-agaricus-bitorquis
I was duped. It was only after I harvested a bag and came home, and was deeply suspicious. I had to consult my secretive and all knowing expert friend who told me I had maybe 20 actual chantrelles, and a whole bag of sadness. I knew it was too good to be true when I found them blocks from my condo. Boo to the imposter!
Thanks for the identification post!
Bri
Glad you found the imposters before you ate them. They are crafty lookalikes aren’t they?
Here are links to some of my own (true) chanterelle images which you are welcome to use, with attribution
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/coldwaterjohn/17445565
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/coldwaterjohn/34983441
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/coldwaterjohn/35677507
Hi James
Many thanks for that. I’ll add at some point and credit you of course. It’s a shame that around Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, we have low to no records of true Chanterelles! Doh! However, a few have been found here and there – so never say never…
All the best
John
Hi John
I’m in the North East of Scotland and we have had Chanterelles as usual, in fact mushrooms galore after the long hot summer – we generally don’t get hot!
Sadly, I nearly lost my Labrador dog after him taking a liking to fungi and eating Fly Agaric. 15 hours in intensive care 3 weeks ago and thankfully he seems ok. He’s now muzzled on his walks until after the mushrooms have gone!
He started eating them last year when he saw me picking Chanterelles and decided he would try them too!
Last week I went back to my usual patch of Chanterelles and enjoyed a huge fried panful only to spend most of the night with my head in a bucket emptying the contents of my stomach!
They must have been False ones – moral of story – dont ever get complacent, be careful out there (and yes, I did double check before I cooked and ate them)!
As for me, think it’ll be a long time before I trust my judgement again.
I’m sorry to hear of your past experiences there. I hope your dog recovers fully. And you’re 100% correct, never become complacent as it can be a costly mistake. Hope you get back to foraging soon.
All the best
John
Hello,
I live in the Republic of Georgia and there are lots of chanterelles in the woods that my partner and I go and collect.
Last night I fried several chanterelles in oil and ate them with pasta..yum! And then… I started having hallucinations a few hours later while sleeping.
Due to consuming psilocybin in the past, I’m familiar with the sensations though these were very mild visual hallucinations with my eyes closes.
I’m wondering if I ended up eating false chanterelles. I’ll be more careful now to tell the difference!
It certainly sounds like it Marina.Unless you’d eaten anything else or had a fever I’d say they were False Chanterelles for sure. Glad to hear you didn’t suffer too much though.