# Yellowfoot (*craterellus tubaeformis*)

The Yellowfoot mushroom is a bright and cheerful fungus that appears in forests during the fall! Its unique yellowish stem and cap make it a fun find for little nature explorers.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Yellowfoot mushrooms thrive in moist, shaded areas of coniferous forests.
- **Also known as:** Craterellus

![Yellowfoot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cantharellus_tubaeformis_G28.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cantharellus_tubaeformis_G28.JPG)

## Appearance

The Yellowfoot has a yellowish-brown cap, often funnel-shaped with wavy edges. Its distinctively ridged or wrinkled underside ranges from pale cream to yellowish-orange. The slender, hollow stem is bright yellow, making it stand out from similar fungi.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- It's prized by chefs for its delicious, peppery flavor and firm, chewy texture!
- Its trumpet shape helps funnel rainwater away from its spore-bearing surface, keeping it dry!
- This mushroom often smells faintly like apricots, making it a unique find for your nose!
- Yellowfoot can survive very cold weather, often fruiting even after the first snows!

## Special abilities

- **Tree Helper:** Yellowfoot can swap nutrients with tree roots, helping both grow stronger because of their mycorrhizal partnership.
- **Cold Conqueror:** Yellowfoot has special antifreeze-like compounds that help it thrive and fruit even when temperatures dip below freezing.
- **Spore Spreader:** Yellowfoot's wrinkled underside increases surface area, helping it release more spores efficiently into the air for reproduction.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 3-10 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 1-6 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Fall to early winter
- **Spore Color:** White to pale yellowish

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [Norway Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/norway-spruce) (*Picea abies*) — shares nutrients with its roots
- **Symbiotic with:** [Scots Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scots-pine) (*Pinus sylvestris*) — forms a vital underground network
- **Eaten by:** Eastern Grey Squirrel (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — forages for its caps and stems

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [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

Do not eat mushrooms found in the wild without adult supervision.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Yellowfoot?

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 Yellowfoot?

3-10 cm

### Is Yellowfoot edible?

edible

### How big is Yellowfoot?

1-6 cm

### Where is Yellowfoot usually found?

Yellowfoot mushrooms thrive in moist, shaded areas of coniferous forests.

### What does Yellowfoot grow on?

soil

### When is Yellowfoot in season?

Fall to early winter

### What color are Yellowfoot spores?

White to pale yellowish

## Where to spot

- [Clatsop State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clatsop-state-forest) — Oregon, US · Forest
- [Bogachiel State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bogachiel-state-park) — Washington, US · State Park
- [Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-elphinstone-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

[View all places to see Yellowfoot](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellowfoot)

## 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: [Yellowfoot: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellowfoot)