# Green-cracking Russula (*Russula*)

The Green-cracking Russula is a bright green fungus that grows in shady places. It has a fun name because it can crack when you touch it!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Green-cracking Russula](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425984/objects/5156.jpg)

## Appearance

The Green-cracking Russula has a distinctive cap, usually olive to yellowish-green, which often develops a network of cracks with age, revealing white flesh underneath. Its stalk is white and stout, and the gills are also white, becoming creamier as it matures, setting it apart with its unique cracked green texture.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Russulales
- **Family:** Russulaceae
- **Genus:** Russula

## Interesting facts

- Even though it's green, this mushroom cannot make its own food!
- It's an expert at sharing food with trees deep underground!
- Its bumpy, cracked green cap makes it look like old mossy pavement!
- Many animals, like squirrels, love to munch on this crunchy fungus!

## Special abilities

- **Tree Friend Power:** Green-cracking Russula can share nutrients with forest trees because of an amazing underground root network.
- **Cracked Cap Camouflage:** Green-cracking Russula has a uniquely cracked green cap that helps it blend into leafy forest floors.
- **Spore Cloud Shower:** Green-cracking Russula can release millions of tiny spores into the air that helps new mushrooms grow far away.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 4-10 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 5-15 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Forms a mutually beneficial relationship
- **Symbiotic with:** [American Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-beech) (*Fagus grandifolia*) — Exchanges nutrients with its roots
- **Symbiotic with:** [Sweet Birch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sweet-birch) (*Betula lenta*) — Partners with this tree for nutrient uptake
- **Eaten by:** Grey Squirrel (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Squirrels forage for and eat 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.
- [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 Green-cracking Russula?

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 Green-cracking Russula?

4-10 cm

### Is Green-cracking Russula edible?

edible

### How big is Green-cracking Russula?

5-15 cm

### Where is Green-cracking Russula usually found?

Forests

### What does Green-cracking Russula grow on?

soil

### When is Green-cracking Russula in season?

Summer to Fall

### What color are Green-cracking Russula spores?

White

## 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: [Green-cracking Russula: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/green-cracking-russula)