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Orange Birch Bolete

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Orange Birch Bolete

Edible

Edible
Autumn

Autumn
Summer

Summer

A tasty member of the greater Bolete family. This mushroom can sometimes also be known as the Boletus testaceoscaber or Boletus rufescens.

Mushroom Type
Common Names Orange Birch Bolete (EN), Cap Tyllog Melyngoch Bedw (CY), Koźlarz Pomarańczowożółty (PL), Kormostönkű Érdestinóru (HU)
Scientific Name Boletus / Leccinum versipelle
Synonyms Boletus versipellis, Boletus testaceoscaber, Boletus rufescens
Season Start Jul
Season End Nov
Average Mushroom height (CM) 8-13
Average Cap width (CM) 7-10

Mushroom Image

Please note that each and every mushroom you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.

Cap

Cap

7-10 cm. Starting ovate opening to broadly convex and staying like that until finally flattening out a bit with age, can be slightly downy. Orange to red orange/brown or even yellowish, this mushroom can vary greatly in cap colour and the versipelle used to be thought of as several different Leccinum species. The top edge of the cap overhangs the pores a little bit which can help with identification.


Pores

Pores

white to pale yellow sponge-like pores, can be a bit grey/brown.


Stem

Stem

8-13 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm diameter. White to off-white mottled with small brown to black scales which give it a dirty appearance. The stem can be longer than the diameter of the cap.

Flesh

White/pale grey turning dark blue/green in the stem to dark grey/black on cooking.


Habitat

Habitat

Growing under birch trees, especially on acid heathland and wood edges.


Possible Confusion

Possible Confusion

The Orange Bolete (Leccinum aurantiacum), pictured, looks almost identical and can grow with Birch but the two are edible if well cooked.
Aspen Bolete (Leccinum albostipitatum) is a rare find in the UK and it grows exclusively with Poplar and Aspen. Its stem is initially white with the floccules turning reddish with age.

Spore Print

Brown. Subfusiform.

Taste / Smell

Good, similar to the Cep. Must be well cooked before consumption as it is mildly toxic, 15 to 20 minutes apparently destroys all the toxin.

Frequency

Fairly common.

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COMMENTS

8 responses to “Orange Birch Bolete”

  1. GB avatar
    GB

    The comment that this mushroom is toxic is simply not true, we have consumed a lot of these raw over the years. Not once has anyone ever been poisoned or anything like that. It would be interesting to see a link to a scientific paper confirming the toxicity of L.versipelle as well as other related fungi.

    Reply
  2. rob gibbs avatar
    rob gibbs

    I agree, have eaten them both cooked and raw for years and never had any issues.

    Reply
  3. Will M avatar
    Will M

    I have just sliced and fried one for the first time but found it disappointingly tasteless, and rendered rather floppy in texture. Is this to be expected ? Best eaten raw maybe ?

    Reply
    1. Eric Biggane avatar
      Eric Biggane

      That’s a pity, I like the Orange Birch Bolete but for me, any mushroom fried in lots of butter tastes great. I don’t recommend eating wild mushrooms raw.

      Reply
  4. Andreas avatar
    Andreas

    Orange birch bolete toxicity varies with geography. In some countries (such as Norway), these mushrooms can be quite toxic and you will get _very_ ill if you consume it raw. Disregard the other comments on this post, they are beyond clueless and outright dangerous.

    Reply
    1. Eric Biggane avatar
      Eric Biggane

      You are quite right, we never recommend eating any edible Amanita raw, if people want to eat them, they should be well cooked. I know people who have been ill from eating these mushrooms raw or partially cooked, this is not scientific but from people who know mushrooms. There are quite a few mushrooms that make a small percentage of people ill which most can eat with impunity. We try to mention any reactions we know about in our mushroom guide.

      Reply
  5. Peter avatar
    Peter

    I am afraid that I stand firmly in the camp of those who have found that the Orange Bolete mushrooms they are collecting are not toxic to them. I have never eaten any wild mushroom raw (not even chanterelles); but my family and friends and I have eaten the Orange Boletes (whether Oak or Birch) once lightly sauteed and we have none of us ever had any ill effects at all – Indeed these are treasured as the best-tasting wild mushrooms in our area. If for no other reason, they are preferable to Penny Buns for foraging, because they don’t seem to be prone to the insects and maggots that infest three out of four Penny Buns that we bring home

    Reply
  6. Josh Jenkinson avatar
    Josh Jenkinson

    I believe I recently found a hybrid of an orange birch bolete and slate bolete. It was growing near predominantly birch trees but one aspen. It was very pale orange – almost yellow, but had some blue / green staining at the base which I’ve not seen on any orange bolete before but seems to be typical of the slate bolete. Is the hybrid possible?!

    Reply

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