Saffron Milk Cap

Lactarius deliciosus group

Also called: Saffron Milk Cap, Red Pine Mushroom, Pine Mushroom (Lactarius), Delicious Milk Cap

Overview

Orange-latex milk cap mycorrhizal with pine and spruce. Stains green when bruised — confirms ID. The Lactarius rubrilacteus / L. rufus complex includes look-alikes.

Edibility

Edible

Rarity

common

Trophic mode

mycorrhizal

Typical peak

Nov

Season

Oct–Dec — typical fruiting months: Sep, Oct, Nov.

Host trees & substrate

Douglas fir
Shore pine

Where it grows

Pacific Northwest
Sierra Nevada & Nor-Cal
Rocky Mountains
Northeast
Upper Midwest / Great Lakes
Iberian Peninsula
Mediterranean Basin
Central European Mixed Forest
Andean Patagonia
Southeast Australia Temperate
New Zealand

See live fruiting predictions for Saffron Milk Cap on the forecast home page, or browse the full field guide.

Always confirm wild-mushroom identification with multiple sources and a knowledgeable local expert before consuming. Read the foraging safety guide.