Horn of plenty (black trumpet)

About

The Horn of plenty (black trumpet) is a mushroom that is easily missed: dark gray and almost black funnels blend in with last year's leaves. It grows in large groups, less often singly, in deciduous and mixed forests, most often under beeches, oaks, and hornbeams, and less frequently under conifers. Fruiting bodies appear from July to the end of November. It is also found in the Carpathian beech forests.

The fruiting body is 5–12 cm tall, hollow from the top to the base, resembling a tube or horn. The cap is funnel-shaped, 2–5 cm in diameter, sometimes up to 10 cm, with a thin, wavy, outwardly turned edge. The inner side is grayish-brown, almost black in wet weather, while the outer side is gray, smooth or with shallow wrinkles, without gills. The flesh is thin, brittle, with a pleasant aroma.

Despite its 'gloomy' appearance, the Horn of plenty is a good edible mushroom. It is included in the Polish list of mushrooms permitted for sale, and guides describe it as a very tasty mushroom. Since the mushroom is hollow, it often collects sand and leaves inside, so each funnel should be cut lengthwise and washed.

There are almost no dangerous lookalikes for the Horn of plenty due to its unusual shape. The similar Craterellus foetidus has well-defined ribbed wrinkles, grows in clusters, and has a strong sweet smell; it is also considered edible. Do not confuse it with gray gilled mushrooms: the Horn of plenty never has true gills under its cap.

Where in the Carpathians

Orange — where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0/CC BY). It occurs only locally, so we draw no approximate range; a blank area does not mean it is absent.

Countries

Ukraine · Poland · Romania · Slovakia · Czechia · Hungary

Mountain ranges

In other countries: 🇸🇰 Low Tatras, 🇵🇱 Silesian Beskids, 🇷🇴 Poiana Ruscă Mountains, 🇷🇴 Iezer-Păpușa Mountains, 🇵🇱 Sądecki Beskids, 🇵🇱 Gorce, 🇸🇰 Štiavnica Mountains, 🇷🇴 Trascău and Metaliferi Mountains, 🇸🇰 Slovak Central Mountains

Altitude belts

Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Safety

Collect only those mushrooms that you can confidently identify; there should be no gills under the cap. Mushroom dishes should not be given to children under 12 years old.

Look-alikes — how to tell them apart

Protection and rules

Not protected.

FAQ