# Indigo Milk Cap (*Lactarius indigo*)

The Indigo Milk Cap is a lovely blue mushroom that can produce a milky substance when you cut it. It's a special sight in the woods!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 3
- **Habitat:** Pine forests
- **Also known as:** Blue Milk Cap, Indigo Mushroom

![Indigo Milk Cap](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424506/objects/5139.jpg)

## Appearance

The Indigo Milk Cap is a strikingly beautiful mushroom, recognized by its vibrant indigo-blue cap, gills, and stem. When cut or broken, it oozes a remarkable bright blue, milky liquid. This unique blue color makes it visually distinct from almost all other mushrooms in the forest.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Believe it or not, this blue mushroom keeps trees healthy by sharing nutrients underground!
- People in some cultures have used this mushroom to add natural blue color to food!
- Sometimes, older Indigo Milk Caps fade to a cool grayish-blue, almost like a denim jacket!
- When you slice an Indigo Milk Cap, bright indigo-blue liquid oozes out like magic!

## Special abilities

- **Blue Blood:** Indigo Milk Cap has a milky, indigo-blue liquid that oozes out when cut, which helps deter some predators.
- **Tree Friend:** Indigo Milk Cap can grow by forming a special connection with tree roots, sharing nutrients that help both thrive.

## Measurements & details

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

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Forms mycorrhizal relationship with its roots.
- **Symbiotic with:** [Eastern White Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-white-pine) (*Pinus strobus*) — Exchanges nutrients with this conifer's roots.
- **Symbiotic with:** [Eastern Hemlock](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-hemlock) (*Tsuga canadensis*) — Often found growing near this evergreen tree.

## Traits

- [Dye](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/dye): This human use trait indicates species from which natural dyes can be extracted and used to color textiles, food, or other materials.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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 Indigo Milk Cap?

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 Indigo Milk Cap?

5-15 cm

### Is Indigo Milk Cap edible?

edible

### How big is Indigo Milk Cap?

5-15 cm

### Where is Indigo Milk Cap usually found?

Pine forests

### What does Indigo Milk Cap grow on?

soil

### When is Indigo Milk Cap in season?

Summer to Fall

### What color are Indigo Milk Cap spores?

White to creamy

## Where to spot

- [Concord](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/concord) — Tennessee, US · Neighborhood
- [Stephen C. Foster State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stephen-c-foster-state-park) — Georgia, US · State Park

## 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: [Indigo Milk Cap: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/indigo-milk-cap)