Golden Chanterelle vs Hedgehog Mushroom
Cantharellus cibarius and Hydnum repandum are confused for one another often enough to be worth putting next to each other.
One of the great wild edibles. Egg-yellow, apricot-scented, with blunt false gills running down the stem.
Buff cap with soft spines instead of gills. Almost unmistakable and pleasantly nutty.
Side by side
| Cantharellus cibarius | Hydnum repandum | |
|---|---|---|
| In this game | Edible | Edible |
| Habitat | Mossy broadleaf and conifer woodland on acid soil, mycorrhizal with beech, oak, birch and pine. | Leaf litter in broadleaf and conifer woodland, often in curving troops. |
| Season | Summer to autumn. | Late summer to autumn. |
| Spore print | Pale yellow. | Cream. |
The recorded spore prints differ: pale yellow for Cantharellus cibarius, cream for Hydnum repandum. That is one documented difference, not a test you can pass.
This comparison cannot make a mushroom safe to eat. It sets out the few characteristics this game records, in general terms, for two species that vary by region, age and growing conditions. Real specimens overlap in ways no table and no photograph can separate, and the deadly one here is deadly in a single meal. Ask a qualified local expert, every time.
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Cantharellus cibarius is also confused with Deadly Webcap, Jack-o'-Lantern, Pale Chanterelle and Yellowfoot.
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