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Blusher (Amanita rubescens), whole fruiting body
George Chernilevsky · CC BY-SA 4.0
Inedible

Blusher

Amanita rubescens · Amanitaceae

The blusher (Amanita rubescens) is an Amanita with a reddish-brown cap dotted with grey-pink warts, whose flesh turns pink-red where cut or eaten by insects.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team5 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyAmanitaceae
SeasonJun–Nov
Spore printWhite
Cap width5–15 cm
Stem length6–15 cm
Records in Turkey37 records
CultivationWild only
StatusInedible

The blusher (Amanita rubescens) is an Amanita with a reddish-brown cap dotted with grey-pink warts, whose flesh turns pink-red where cut or eaten by insects. Its gills are white and the ring on its stem is striated on the upper side. In Europe it is described as edible when thoroughly cooked, but it is harmful raw and easily confused with the poisonous panther cap, so we treat it as inedible.

Also called: the blusher, blushing amanita Turkish: Kızaran gelin mantarı

Blusher (Amanita rubescens), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

Blusher, part by part

Spore print: White No distinctive smell; the white flesh slowly turns pink on exposure to air.

Blusher (Amanita rubescens), cap seen from above
Cap5–15 cm, hemispherical then flat; reddish-brown, pinkish-brown or bronze, covered in grey-pink warts that rub off easily. The margin is not striated.
Blusher (Amanita rubescens), gills under the cap, seen from below
GillsFree, crowded, white gills that develop red spots with age or bruising.
Blusher (Amanita rubescens), stem and stem base
Stem6–15 cm long, 1–2.5 cm thick; whitish-pink with reddish stains lower down and a swollen bulbous base. The flesh turns pink-red where cut and in insect holes.
Blusher (Amanita rubescens), stem and stem base
RingPresent: a white or pinkish, hanging ring with distinct grooves on its upper surface.
Volva — the cup at the baseNo distinct sac; a few ring-like scaly remnants on the swollen base.

When and where

Jun–Nov

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Junin season
  7. Julin season
  8. Augin season
  9. Sepin season
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Dec

The blusher fruits in summer and autumn; Turkish records fall between June and November.

Type Inedible

Months seen JuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovember

Colour BrownPink

Regions Black Sea RegionMarmara RegionRizeSakaryaBoluYalovaIstanbulKırklareli

Where does blusher grow?

In broadleaf and conifer woods, especially under oak, beech, chestnut and pine; mycorrhizal on acid to neutral soils. It appears singly or in scattered groups.

Where is blusher found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 37 Turkish records: 23 from Istanbul and the rest from Rize, Kırklareli, Bolu, Yalova and Sakarya, concentrated in the forests of Marmara and the Black Sea.

Which months

  1. Jan2
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May0
  6. Jun6
  7. Jul7
  8. Aug4
  9. Sep5
  10. Oct6
  11. Nov6
  12. Dec1

blusher map of Turkey: all provinces and months →

6 provinces, 37 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest blusher observations

On "illustrative" cards the image is a photo of the species; the observation photo cannot be shown here because of its licence, but can be seen at the source.

Look-alikes

What could it be confused with?

Blusher can be mistaken for the species below. Each card shows the look-alike and how it differs from Blusher.

Blusher (Amanita rubescens), whole fruiting body
This species Blusher
Panther cap (Amanita pantherina), whole fruiting body Poisonous

not Blusher

Panther cap Amanita pantherina

The panther cap is brown to olive with pure white warts and a striated margin; its flesh does not turn pink, its ring is not grooved on top, and it has a collar-like volva rim at the base.

Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), whole fruiting body Poisonous

not Blusher

Fly agaric Amanita muscaria

Its cap is bright red or orange with white warts, and its flesh does not redden when cut.

Grey spotted amanita (Amanita excelsa) Inedible

not Blusher

Grey spotted amanita Amanita excelsa

Its cap is grey-brown with grey warts, and its flesh does not redden when cut.

What it contains

Since we treat it as inedible, no nutrition data is given.

General information, not a health claim.

We treat the blusher as inedible. Raw, it contains a substance that damages red blood cells; European sources call it edible when thoroughly cooked, but confusion with the poisonous panther cap leads to serious poisonings. Never pick any Amanita without an expert's identification. If poisoning is suspected, call poison control and keep any leftover mushroom.

Frequently asked questions

Is the blusher edible?

We treat it as inedible. It is harmful raw; in Europe it is described as edible when thoroughly cooked, but the risk of confusing it with the poisonous panther cap is high.

How is it told apart from the panther cap?

The blusher's flesh turns pink-red where cut or insect-eaten, its warts are grey-pink and its ring is grooved on top. The panther cap has pure white warts and a striated cap edge, and its flesh does not change colour.

Why is it called the blusher?

Its flesh slowly turns pink-red when cut, bruised or eaten by insects; this is its most reliable identification feature.

Is it poisonous?

Raw, it contains a substance that damages red blood cells, which cooking is said to destroy. It is not deadly, but the risk of misidentification means it should not be eaten.

How do you identify it?

A reddish-brown cap, grey-pink warts, white gills, a ring grooved on top, a swollen stem base and flesh that turns pink when cut.

When and where does it appear?

From June to November, in oak, beech, chestnut and pine woods. Turkish records come mostly from Istanbul, Rize, Kırklareli and Bolu.

Can it be cultivated?

No. It lives in partnership with tree roots (mycorrhizal), so it cannot be grown from spawn or a kit.

When is blusher season in Turkey?

In our calendar, blusher season runs Jun–Nov. The blusher fruits in summer and autumn; Turkish records fall between June and November.

Where does blusher grow?

In broadleaf and conifer woods, especially under oak, beech, chestnut and pine; mycorrhizal on acid to neutral soils. It appears singly or in scattered groups.

Where is blusher found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 37 Turkish records: 23 from Istanbul and the rest from Rize, Kırklareli, Bolu, Yalova and Sakarya, concentrated in the forests of Marmara and the Black Sea.

What can blusher be confused with?

Blusher can be confused with panther cap (Amanita pantherina, poisonous), fly agaric (Amanita muscaria, poisonous) and grey spotted amanita (Amanita excelsa, inedible). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is blusher called in Turkish?

In Turkish, blusher (Amanita rubescens) is called Kızaran gelin mantarı.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Quintero-Corrales ve ark. (2024), Mycologia: Amanita rubescens tür kompleksi çeşitliliği pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Wikipedia (EN): Amanita rubescens en.wikipedia.org
  3. First Nature: Amanita rubescens first-nature.com
All sources (5)
  1. iNaturalist: Amanita rubescens (Türkçe ad ve Türkiye gözlemleri) inaturalist.org
  2. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
Photo credits (15)