Sooty Head

Tricholoma portentosum

Family: Tricholomataceae

Also called: Sooty Head, Charcoal Burner Knight, Negrilla, Petit-gris

Sooty Head (Tricholoma portentosum)
Photo:Dan Molter (shroomydan)(CC BY-SA 3.0)View original source →

Overview

Silvery-grey streaky cap, yellowish gills with a faint yellow flush in the stem apex. Pine woods, often sandy soils, late autumn into the first frosts. Choice European edible, eaten in Spain (negrilla) and France (petit-gris).

Edibility
Edible
Rarity
common
Trophic mode
mycorrhizal
Typical peak
Nov–Dec

Season

Nov–Feb — typical fruiting months: Oct, Nov, , Jan.

Host trees & substrate

  • Mycorrhizal with stone pine
  • Mycorrhizal with maritime pine
  • Mycorrhizal with Scots pine

Where it grows

See live fruiting predictions for Sooty Head 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.