Hedgehog mushroom

Hydnum repandum is known as an edible species; young ones are preferred because it turns bitter with age. Never eat it without an expert's identification.

Look under the cap: instead of gills or pores there are soft, hanging cream spines. The cap is cream to orange, irregular and suede-like, and the flesh bruises orange.

From a distance, yes. A chanterelle has vein-like ridges running down the stem, not spines.

In mossy broadleaf and conifer woods. Most GBIF records come from İstanbul's northern forests, with one from Trabzon.

From August to January; Turkish records fall between September and January.

Its spines mean it has no known deadly look-alike, but bitter species such as the shingled hedgehog (Sarcodon imbricatus) can upset the stomach. Every wild mushroom should still be checked by an expert.

Yes. Hedgehog fungus, hedgehog mushroom, wood hedgehog and sweet tooth are English names for Hydnum repandum, recognised by the soft spines under its cap.

We brush off soil, scrape away older spines if they are loose, and cook the mushrooms in butter or olive oil until golden. They keep their firm texture in sauces, omelettes and risotto, and we always cook them.

Yes. Wood hedgehog is another English name for Hydnum repandum, the hedgehog mushroom with teeth instead of gills under the cap.

No. The bearded hedgehog is lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus), which hangs from trees as a white mass of long spines. The hedgehog mushroom grows on the ground and has a normal cap and stem.

Yes. Sweet tooth is another English name for the hedgehog mushroom (Hydnum repandum), named after the small, tooth-like spines under its cap.

Yes, the hedgehog mushroom is an edible species. Eat a wild one only after an expert has identified it with certainty. The hedgehog mushroom turns bitter with age, so pick young, firm ones and cook them well. A similar-looking mushroom without spines is not this species.

In our calendar, hedgehog mushroom season runs Aug–Jan. The hedgehog mushroom fruits from late summer into winter; Turkish GBIF records fall between September and January.

The hedgehog mushroom grows in broadleaf and conifer woods on mossy, leaf-littered soil, forming a mycorrhizal partnership with the trees.

In Turkey, hedgehog mushroom records come mostly from İstanbul's northern forests, with another from Trabzon.

The hedgehog mushroom can be confused with chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius, edible species), terracotta hedgehog (Hydnum rufescens, edible species) and shingled hedgehog (Sarcodon imbricatus, inedible). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

In Turkish, the hedgehog mushroom (Hydnum repandum) is called Kirpi mantarı; other local names include dikenli mantar and kirpi.