(14 votes, average: 4.57 out of 5)
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Terracotta Hedgehog
Edible 
Autumn 
Summer 
An easily identified mushroom with a great taste that grows in many types of woodland.
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | Terracotta Hedgehog (EN), Terracotta Wood Urchin, Rufous Hedgehog, Pigau Draenog Cochlyd (CY), Kolczak Rudawy (PL), Sárgásvörös Gereben (HU) |
| Scientific Name | Hydnum rufescens |
| Season Start | Sep |
| Season End | Dec |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 4-7 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 3-6 |
Cap
3-6 cm. Terracotta, red orange coloured lighter towards the edges. It has a fine woolly texture with unevenly lobed edges and quite often the cap sits eccentrically on the stem.
Spines
Has off white to pinkish spines that are easily brushed off. The spines do not run down the stem (decurrent) like they do on the Wood Hedgehog (Hydnum repandum).
Stem
4-7 cm long, 1.5-3 cm diameter. Off white to pinkish usually fairly thin but can be short and wide.
Flesh
Whitish and firm, can have some pink/salmon tones.
Habitat
Mainly with coniferous trees but will grow in some broadleaf woodland.
Possible Confusion
The Hedgehog Fungus (Hydnum repandum), pictured, is very similar but is usually lighter in colour and has a shorter stem with decurrent spines, (running down the stem).
Spore Print
White, Ellipsoid.
Taste / Smell
Mild but mushroomy.
Frequency
Fairly common.
4 comments for Terracotta Hedgehog
It’s August 10th 2019 and I discovered a number of mushrooms that appear to have a similarity with terracotta hedgehog mushrooms in that they are a chanterelle orange and have teeth as in the description. Where they differ is that the steam is short and thick and the teeth / spines run down the steam a short way. The steam colour is salmon pink and the spore print is white. Holding off eating until I can be totally sure I know what they are.
Hi Alex, it sounds like a Hedgehog Fungus, Hydnum repandum, it can have an off white orangey colour and the spines continue down the stem a bit. Without photos though I can’t be sure.
There is a parasitic fungus that turns other mushrooms orange and is edible and delicious in itself – could be the one you found was infected with this?
Thank you both, they’re back again this year, still orange in colour very similar in colour to a chanterelle. They’re growing under beech trees.