# Aspen Bolete (*Leccinum insigne*)

The Aspen Bolete is a tasty mushroom that grows near aspen trees. It has a thick stem and is fun to find on forest adventures!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Aspen forests
- **Also known as:** Black Poplar Bolete, Leccinum Bolete

![Aspen Bolete](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426794/objects/5150.jpg)

## Appearance

The Aspen Bolete has a stout build, featuring a reddish-brown to orange-brown cap that feels velvety when young. Its cream-colored pores bruise brown, and the thick, white stem is covered in rough, dark scales, especially noticeable as it ages.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Boletales
- **Family:** Boletaceae
- **Genus:** Leccinum

## Interesting facts

- Cutting an Aspen Bolete makes its white flesh turn dark, like a magic trick!
- Its bumpy stem looks like it's covered in tiny dark sprinkles!
- Some say it smells fruity, while others detect an earthy scent.
- This mushroom helps aspen trees get water and food from the soil.

## Special abilities

- **Symbiotic Growth:** Aspen Bolete can grow huge because its underground network shares nutrients with aspen trees, helping both thrive.
- **Color-Changing Flesh:** Aspen Bolete has flesh that changes color when cut, quickly shifting from white to pinkish-gray then black, which can surprise observers.
- **Forest Partner:** Aspen Bolete can help aspen trees because it extends their root systems, making it easier for them to absorb water.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 8-20 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 8-20 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Summer to fall
- **Spore Color:** Olive-brown

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [Quaking Aspen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/quaking-aspen) (*Populus tremuloides*) — forms a crucial mycorrhizal partnership
- **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — slugs sometimes graze on its caps and stems
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — deer may forage for this mushroom

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Aspen Bolete?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Aspen Bolete?

8-20 cm

### Is Aspen Bolete edible?

edible

### How big is Aspen Bolete?

8-20 cm

### Where is Aspen Bolete usually found?

Aspen forests

### What does Aspen Bolete grow on?

soil

### When is Aspen Bolete in season?

Summer to fall

### What color are Aspen Bolete spores?

Olive-brown

## Where to spot

- [St. Elmo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/st-elmo) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

---

Source: [Aspen Bolete: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/aspen-bolete)