Leccinum mushrooms in Northern-Norway

Leccinum is the most numerous mushrooms of the edible species in Northern Norway. If you know your Leccinums you will never have to leave a mushroom foraging walk with empty baskets. Learn about them here

There are 17 species of Leccinum in Norway (as of 2024) and most of them are also here in Northern Norway. We divide Leccinums into three groups. "Red cap - Leccinum", "Black cap - Leccinum" and "Brown cap - Leccinum".  

All the Leccinums are mycorrhizal mushrooms. They get carbon and energy in symbiotic relationships with trees. Mainly Birch trees, the most common tree in Northern-Norway but there are som Leccinums in relationship with Aspen, Willow, Pine and Spruce too.

The Red cap Leccinum and The Black cap Leccinum are poisonous when raw. The Brown cap Leccinum is not. But to be safe I recommend to always cook your Leccinums for 15 minutes at medium or high heat.

 The most unique of the Leccinums here in Northern-Norway is the Red Cap Leccinum (Leccinum versipelle). It is the biggest of the Leccinums and it is considered to be the most tasty.  The cap looks like it is a little bit too big for the mushroom because it goes down over the pores. The most noticeable characteristic is that it blackens when you cut it. Not at first but wait 1-2 minutes and you will see the colour change. It keeps going until the cut is all black, purple-ish. For this reason I always pick my Leccinum versipelle in a separate basket.  

Identifying Leccinums:

Cap: 5-25 cm across, the shape is domed. It comes in many different colours from red, brown, orange, gray, black and off-white, some might even have pink or greenish tint. The red cap Leccinum (versipelle) is always red-orange-brownish, very varm colour except for the albino variant, that one is off-white pinkish. The cap of the red Leccinums, and some of the Blacks as well is hard and firm to the touch. The brown cap group is softer.

All Leccinums have pores, never gills! 

Pores: The pores are greyish white and easy to remove from the cap, unless the mushroom is very young. 

Stalk: 7-15 cm long and 1-5 cm wide. The colour is grey-white, light-brownish and all Leccinum have scabers. Black, dark-brown or sometimes withe dots on the stem. Unique for the Leccinums.

Spores: White. Can be hard to spot. It is recommended to take a spore sample. This can be done easily by placing the mushroom on a dark surface, leave it there for a couple of hours. When you pick up the mushroom you will find a pattern from the spores on the paper

Boletus can't be mistaken for any dangerous speices here in Northern-Norway

The most common mistake to make is between the Red cap Leccinum (versipelle) and Boletus edulis. Both are edible as long as you remember the cooking rules. 15 minutes, medium to high heat.  

Please note! This page is for inspiration and educational purposes. It describes general characteristics of the species and photographed individuals. It can NOT be used to make safe identifications of the mushrooms you pick. Please get a mushroom expert to have a look at them

Want to learn more about mushrooms in Northern Norway? You can book a guided tour with me, visit my memeber pages (only in Norwegian) or follow my YouTube channel.