Hedgehog mushrooms

Recognising the hedgehog mushroom

The hedgehog mushroom (Hydnum repandum) and the terracotta hedgehog (H. rufescens, smaller, orange). Their signature: under the cap, soft, brittle spines instead of gills or pores. Cream to orange cap, firm flesh that turns reddish-brown when handled.

Look-alikes

Simple rule: spines under the cap, pale smooth cap = hydnum. Pick them young; large specimens are sometimes slightly bitter.

Habitat: where to look

The hedgehog mushroom is mycorrhizal: it lives within reach of trees, in damp undergrowth where leaves or needles form a thick carpet.

Under which trees

• Mainly beeches, spruces and firs; also oaks, sweet chestnuts and pines.
• Broadleaves and conifers alike, provided the undergrowth stays damp.

Terrain

• From lowland to mid-mountain: no precise altitude is given by the sources consulted.
• Observers report it rather towards the bottom of gentle slopes, where run-off keeps the soil damp, and in lines that follow the direction of flow. No north/south preference is established.

Soil

• It grows as well on calcareous as on acidic soils, provided they stay cool and moist (Sporalo does not take pH into account for it, for lack of a measurable effect on the observations).
• Avoid dry soils.

Microsites: where to look

• Under the litter: before October, it often stays hidden under dead leaves. Lift them gently, then put them back.
• In lines, “veins” or circles following the roots: when you find one, follow the line, it often continues for several metres.
• In the moss of damp undergrowth. It withstands the first cold weather better than many other mushrooms.

Season and triggers

From late summer to winter, with a peak in autumn. It reacts rather slowly to rain.