# Red Chanterelle (*cantharellus cinnabarinus*)

The Red Chanterelle is a bright orange mushroom that looks like a little cup! It loves to grow in the woods, making it a fun find for nature explorers!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Red Chanterelles grow in moist, wooded areas, often under hardwood trees.
- **Also known as:** Cinnabar Chanterelle

![Red Chanterelle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cantharellus_cinnabarinus_93293.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Eric Smith (esmith), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cantharellus_cinnabarinus_93293.jpg)

## Appearance

The Red Chanterelle is a strikingly cinnabar to orange-red mushroom with a funnel-shaped cap and a wavy margin. Its underside features blunt, fold-like ridges that run down the stem, not true gills. This vibrant color makes it stand out against the forest floor.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- It's a fantastic forager's find, highly prized for its delicious, slightly peppery flavor.
- Its 'gills' are actually blunt, fold-like ridges, not true gills like many other mushrooms!
- The bright red color is so unique, it's named 'cinnabarinus' after a type of red pigment!
- This vibrant mushroom often smells faintly like sweet apricots, especially when fresh!

## Special abilities

- **Underground Food Partner:** Red Chanterelle forms a special underground network with tree roots, sharing nutrients that help both grow strong.
- **Wind Rider Spores:** Red Chanterelle releases microscopic spores that can travel far on the wind, spreading new life through forests.
- **Fragrant Signal:** Red Chanterelle has a faint apricot-like scent that might attract small insects, helping them spread their spores.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-8 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 1-6 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Spore Color:** White to pale yellow

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Forms mycorrhizal partnership with tree roots
- **Symbiotic with:** [American Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-beech) (*Fagus grandifolia*) — Shares nutrients with this host tree
- **Symbiotic with:** [Eastern White Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-white-pine) (*Pinus strobus*) — Often found growing near its roots

## 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.
- [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

Always ask an adult before touching or eating wild mushrooms.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Red Chanterelle?

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 Red Chanterelle?

2-8 cm

### Is Red Chanterelle edible?

edible

### How big is Red Chanterelle?

1-6 cm

### Where is Red Chanterelle usually found?

Red Chanterelles grow in moist, wooded areas, often under hardwood trees.

### What does Red Chanterelle grow on?

soil

### When is Red Chanterelle in season?

Summer to Fall

### What color are Red Chanterelle spores?

White to pale yellow

## Where to spot

- [Charlotte Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charlotte-street-historic-district) — Arkansas, US · Historic District
- [Verbena](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/verbena) — Alabama, US · Neighborhood
- [McGee Creek State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mcgee-creek-state-park) — Oklahoma, US · State Park

[View all places to see Red Chanterelle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-chanterelle)

## 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: [Red Chanterelle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-chanterelle)