False Chanterelle
Poisonous 
Autumn 
Summer 
Not strictly speaking a poisonous mushroom but they can cause alarming symptoms in some people.
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | False Chanterelle (EN), Siantrel Ffug (CY), Lisówka Pomarańczowa (PL), Narancsvörös Álrókagomba (HU) |
| Scientific Name | Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca |
| Season Start | Jul |
| Season End | Nov |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 4-9 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 3-8 |
Cap
3-8 cm. Yellow, yellow/orange/brown. Starting convex becoming shallowly funnel shaped with an in-rolled, undulating margin.
Gills
Gills orange. Running down the stem (decurrent), forked many times and crowded.
Stem
2-6 cm long, 0.3-1 cm diameter. Yellow/orange tapering slightly towards the base, often curved.
Flesh
Pale yellow/orange and tough, never pure white.
Habitat
Mainly coniferous woodland but can be found on heaths and occasionally with deciduous trees.
Possible Confusion
The poisonous Jack O’Lantern (Omphalotus illudens), is a very rare mushroom in Britain, it grows on deciduous wood, it has true gills and is bigger and darker orange in colour.
Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), pictured, is a much more yellow colour. It is normally larger and prefers more acidic soil. It has broader mycorrhizal partner range, prefers Beech, Birch, Oak, Spruce and Pine. Its fruity smell is similar to apricot.
Amethyst Chanterelle (Cantharellus amethysteus), has various yellow based colour with a hint of purple to amethyst at the centre. It also prefers acidic soil, fruiting under hardwoods, e.g. Oak, Beech and Birch, but occasionally under conifers, e.g. spruce.
Frosted Chanterelle (Cantherellus pallens), is similar but larger and has a pale yellow cap with a dusting of white, particularly near the middle.
Pale Chanterelle (Cantharellus ferruginascens), looks rather similar to the Frosted Chanterelle, however there is no whitish dust-like cover at centre of its cap. It is one of the rarest amongst the Chanterelles in the UK.
Spore Print
White. Ellipsoid.
Frequency
Common.
Other Facts
A beautiful but annoying mushroom to find. Once you know them you can normally tell the difference between these and their tasty look-a-likes the true chanterelles on sight from a few feet away. Even so you can still try to convince yourself they are Chanterelles, so strength of mind and will may need to be employed if you find them!
20 comments for False Chanterelle
what are the alarming symptoms!?
Hi Chris, some people get very sick with hot and cold flushes, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and hallucinations, some people are unaffected. Eric.
I accidently boiled some of these thinking theyre chanterelles and it was quite clear they were false – the smell & taste was absolutely horrible, like old milk!!!
I collected what I thought were chanterelles. They were dark orange on top and lighter orange under the cap and down the stem and white inside and smelled or apricots. But the gills did not extend down the stem like chanterelles so I am wondering if they are false chanterelles which leads me to my question: Do any other mushrooms smell like apricots besides chanterelles?
Some other mushrooms have fruity smells. If you can send in photos of them we’ll try to ID them for you.
Hi guys! Found a bunch of chanterelle mushrooms. It looks like the real deal. Where can I send the photo? Thanks
If you can get clear photos of the cap, stem, gills and a mushroom in situ we will try to ID them for you. Send them to [email protected].
I have learnt something new, I had studied from a mushroom guide, that said that false chanterelle is only to be found in Europe and in regions where there are olive trees ? Iam stunned, thanks
No Claudia, where I live in the UK you find in the same line forest, false chanterelles and true chanterelles growing one next to each other. The false chanterelles are more orangeish, often darker in the center of the cap (and that part is often sunk/depressed) and their skin is pale yellow (while it is pure white for true chanterelles).
I found some f chanterelles today, and thousands of true ones in a Scots pine forest, another clear characteristic of the F chanter is a simp deposit on the top, esp in the middle, quite different from the true one, they are also much darker yellow to orange.
Are false Chantelle found in northern Minnesota ?
I’m afraid I only know about UK mushrooms.
My kids and I eat these very often, tasty risottos and stir fried. Never had any side effects. We all love them. It is one of our favourites and we go mushroom hunting 4 days a week from September to November….
I have found false chanterelle that’s smell strongly of apricots ?
I’ve never smelt apricots on one. Do you have any photos?
Well l think l have paid the price….l found 3 small false ones growing in bark/on bark chips. After consulting “my mushroom bible” they were added to my pasta dish along with millers and blewits which l know were correctly identified
I have spent a very interesting night, stomach cramps/muscle aches/ headaches and diarrhoea and sweats.
My mushroom bible states “it has flaccid tasteless flesh but it is not poisonous”
I now have 2 new bibles on my Christmas list
Just found what look like chanterelles. When I cut them in half the flesh is white to cream but after a while they turn the yellow colour of the outer mushroom. Any thoughts? The gills look more like wrinkles to me, but I’m not expert to be sure of that, so I was hoping the colour of the flesh would be the clincher but no I am not sure due to the colour change!
Without seeing them, I can’t tell. The flesh can be a bit off white if the mushrooms are old or very wet but the flesh shouldn’t turn yellow.
If you could send in photos with one cut in half fresh and one after the colour change plus a couple of the mushrooms, top and ‘gills’ we’ll see if we can ID them for you.
Send any photos for ID to [email protected].
Hello
I’m currently suffering the älarming symptoms!
I think there may have been a couple of the false chanterelles in amongst the true ones that a friend collected.
We’re in the south of France.
I should have had the sense to get them checked at the pharmacy, (which you can do here for free) but I trusted that my friend knew what he was doing
The Dr saw me within 30 seconds when I mentioned mushrooms, and said he has been sending people to the hospital all weekend.
I had a blood test done to check for liver damage.
Take care out there.
PS They were extremely yummy, but it really wasn’t worth it