# Chip Cherries (*leratiomyces ceres*)

Chip Cherries are colorful mushrooms that look like tiny cherries growing on trees! They are fun to find during nature walks, especially in the forest.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Chip Cherries thrive in damp, wooded areas, often found at the base of trees.
- **Also known as:** Cherry Mushrooms, Forest Cherries, Little Red Mushrooms

![Chip Cherries](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/12439328/medium.jpeg)

Photo: Tim Sage, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/12439328)

## Appearance

The Chip Cherries has striking bright red to orange-red caps, often with a paler, yellowish margin. Its small, round caps sit atop a slender white or pale yellowish stem, sometimes growing in scattered groups. This mushroom truly stands out against its woody backdrop.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Strophariaceae
- **Genus:** Leratiomyces

## Interesting facts

- If you crush them, they can sometimes smell faintly like radishes!
- Its scientific name, \*ceres\*, refers to the Roman goddess of agriculture!
- The cap can change from deep red to orange as it gets older!
- These tiny mushrooms often pop up in gardens using wood chip mulch!

## Special abilities

- **Warning Colors:** Chip Cherries has bright red caps that act as a visual warning, helping to deter animals that might try to eat them.
- **Wood Recycler:** Chip Cherries can break down dead wood into useful soil nutrients, helping to clear debris and enrich the forest floor.
- **Spore Shooter:** Chip Cherries releases millions of tiny spores that float on the wind, helping new mushrooms grow far away.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-6 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 1-4 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Spore Color:** Purple-brown

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs sometimes munch on its caps.
- **Eaten by:** [Common rough woodlouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-rough-woodlouse) (*Porcellio scaber*) — Woodlice occasionally feed on decaying fungi.
- **Depends on:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Decomposes dead wood from oak trees.
- **Depends on:** [Sugar Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sugar-maple) (*Acer saccharum*) — Helps break down fallen maple branches.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [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 touch or eat mushrooms without an adult's help.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Chip Cherries?

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 Chip Cherries?

2-6 cm

### Is Chip Cherries edible?

inedible

### How big is Chip Cherries?

1-4 cm

### Where is Chip Cherries usually found?

Chip Cherries thrive in damp, wooded areas, often found at the base of trees.

### What does Chip Cherries grow on?

wood

### When is Chip Cherries in season?

Summer to Fall

### What color are Chip Cherries spores?

Purple-brown

## Where to spot

- [Pioneer Square](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pioneer-square) — Washington, US · Neighborhood
- [Santa Barbara Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/santa-barbara-botanic-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden
- [Gas Works Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gas-works-park) — Washington, US · Park

[View all places to see Chip Cherries](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/chip-cherries)

## 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: [Chip Cherries: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/chip-cherries)