# Black Trumpet (*Craterellus*)

Black Trumpet Mushrooms are dark and trumpet-shaped. They have a rich, earthy flavor that adds depth to dishes!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wooded areas
- **Also known as:** Black Chanterelle, Horn of Plenty

![Black Trumpet](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425871/objects/5093.jpg)

## Appearance

The Black Trumpet has a distinctive trumpet or vase-like shape, ranging from deep grey to charcoal black. Its outer surface is often velvety or wrinkled, lacking true gills, and it appears almost like a crumpled, dark leaf on the forest floor.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Cantharellales
- **Family:** Hydnaceae
- **Genus:** Craterellus

## Interesting facts

- Even though they are super dark, their tiny spores are a light, dusty white, like magic!
- These fungi are sometimes called "poor man's truffles" because of their amazing flavor!
- They don't have gills like most mushrooms; spores drop from their wrinkly outside!
- They look like dark, wilting leaves but are actually delicious mushrooms, tricky to spot!

## Special abilities

- **Forest Camouflage:** Black Trumpet can blend perfectly with dark leaf litter because of its muted color and crumpled form, helping them hide.
- **Hidden Spore Factory:** Black Trumpet has a wrinkled outer surface that releases spores, which helps them reproduce without needing gills.
- **Umami Power:** Black Trumpet can develop an intense savory flavor when dried, because it concentrates its unique taste compounds.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 3-12 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 2-10 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Spore Color:** White to yellowish

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Shares nutrients with oak roots for mutual growth.
- **Symbiotic with:** [American Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-beech) (*Fagus grandifolia*) — Exchanges resources with beech trees underground.
- **Symbiotic with:** [Sweet Birch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sweet-birch) (*Betula lenta*) — Helps birch trees absorb water and minerals.

## 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 Black Trumpet?

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 Black Trumpet?

3-12 cm

### Is Black Trumpet edible?

edible

### How big is Black Trumpet?

2-10 cm

### Where is Black Trumpet usually found?

Wooded areas

### What does Black Trumpet grow on?

soil

### When is Black Trumpet in season?

Late summer to fall

### What color are Black Trumpet spores?

White to yellowish

## 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*)

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Source: [Black Trumpet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-trumpet)