# Ruby Bolete (*hortiboletus rubellus*)

The Ruby Bolete is a bright red mushroom that can be found in forests! It's known for its unique look and is a fun find for little nature explorers.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Forests, especially under coniferous trees like pines and oaks.
- **Also known as:** Ruby Mushroom, Scarlet Bolete

![Ruby Bolete](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bol.rub.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Luridiformis at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bol.rub.jpg)

## Appearance

The Ruby Bolete has a striking ruby-red cap that often cracks with age, revealing lighter flesh beneath. Its underside features small, yellow pores that instantly bruise blue when touched. The stem is yellowish, often streaked with red, especially towards the base.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Boletales
- **Family:** Boletaceae
- **Genus:** Hortiboletus

## Interesting facts

- It has a mild, nutty flavor when cooked, often used in European dishes.
- Its bright red color signals to some animals it might be poisonous, even though it's not!
- The Ruby Bolete used to be called 'Boletus rubellus' before getting its new scientific name.
- This mushroom can appear suddenly after rain, almost like magic!

## Special abilities

- **Blue Bruise Power:** Ruby Bolete can turn blue instantly when bruised because of a chemical reaction, which helps warn predators it's not tasty.
- **Tree Friend:** Ruby Bolete has a secret partnership with trees, sharing nutrients that helps both grow strong and healthy.
- **Spore Shooter:** Ruby Bolete releases millions of tiny olive-brown spores that helps new mushrooms grow far away.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 4-10 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 3-10 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Summer to fall
- **Spore Color:** Olive-brown

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [English Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/english-oak) (*Quercus robur*) — exchanges nutrients with its roots
- **Symbiotic with:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — forms a beneficial underground partnership
- **Symbiotic with:** [Silver Birch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silver-birch) (*Betula pendula*) — shares resources through its root system

## 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.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [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 picking mushrooms.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Ruby Bolete?

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 Ruby Bolete?

4-10 cm

### Is Ruby Bolete edible?

edible

### How big is Ruby Bolete?

3-10 cm

### Where is Ruby Bolete usually found?

Forests, especially under coniferous trees like pines and oaks.

### What does Ruby Bolete grow on?

soil

### When is Ruby Bolete in season?

Summer to fall

### What color are Ruby Bolete spores?

Olive-brown

## Where to spot

- [Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/georgia-institute-of-technology-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District
- [Techwood Homes](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/techwood-homes) — Georgia, US · Historic District
- [Buford Mountain Conservation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/buford-mountain-conservation-area) — Missouri, US · Nature Reserve
- [W.J. Freeman Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/w-j-freeman-park) — Tennessee, US · Park

[View all places to see Ruby Bolete](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/ruby-bolete)

## 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: [Ruby Bolete: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-bolete)