Old man of the woods

About

The Old man of the woods is easy to recognize: its cap is covered with large dark scaly flakes that overlap like scales on a cone. In Ukraine, it is rare and known only from the west: from the Carpathians, Transcarpathia, Roztocze, and the forests of Lviv and Ternopil regions. It grows singly or in small groups in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, more often in spruce forests, on the ground or on decayed wood submerged in it.

The cap is 4–10 cm, gray-brown to black-brown, with woolly scales, and the edges have flaps of the veil hanging down. The tubes are whitish, darkening with age, and the pores are large and angular. The stem is 4–15 cm, the color of the cap, fibrous-scaly, with a ring that quickly disappears. The flesh is whitish, reddening when cut, and later turning black, with an earthy smell. Fruiting bodies appear from July to October.

In guides, young Old man of the woods are described as edible. However, in Ukraine, this species is listed in the Red Book with the status of 'vulnerable', so collecting it is prohibited. It is protected, in particular, in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and the Roztocze Reserve.

Encountering the Old man of the woods is a true stroke of luck for nature lovers. Photograph it from above and the side, without cutting it, and leave it in the forest: this way, the mushroom will have time to disperse its spores. Observations with photos can be added to the iNaturalist platform — this helps scientists monitor the status of rare species.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Ukraine · Poland · Slovakia · Serbia · Romania

Mountain ranges

Pokuttia-Bukovina Carpathians, Rivna Polonyna, Bieszczady, Skole Beskids, Vihorlat-Gutin Volcanic Ridge, Gorgany, Low Tatras, Borzhava, Island Beskids

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

A species in the Red Book of Ukraine: collecting is prohibited, even if the mushroom is edible.

Protection and rules

Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (vulnerable). Collecting is prohibited — photograph and leave it in the forest.

Admire, don’t pick: plants listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine — and any plants in nature reserves and strictly protected zones of national parks — must not be collected.

Red Data Book of Ukraine

FAQ