Summer cep

About

Boletus reticulatus is a close relative of the white mushroom, which mushroom pickers usually also call white. It loves warmth, so it is most often found in deciduous forests in hilly and mountainous areas: under oaks, beeches, hornbeams, and linden trees. In Ukraine, it is rare; in the Carpathians, it is mainly found in oak and beech forests of the foothills.

This is one of the earliest boletes: the first mushrooms appear as early as May, and in some places, they fruit until October. The cap is 8–25 cm, dry, velvety, coffee-colored, light brown, or ochre; in dry weather, it often cracks, forming a net-like pattern. The tubes are initially white, then yellow or olive-green. The stem is 10–25 cm, light nut-brown, covered with a noticeable white or brown net almost along its entire length. The flesh is white, dense, with a pleasant mushroom aroma.

Boletus reticulatus is edible and valued just as much as the white mushroom, although its flesh is somewhat softer. When squeezed, the stem springs back, and the taste of the flesh is slightly sweet.

The main lookalike is the bitter bolete with pink tubes and a dark net on the stem, which is very bitter. Also, pay attention to the similar bronze bolete with an almost black cap: it is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, so collecting it is prohibited. Mushrooms in state and communal forests can be collected for personal use without a permit, but not in reserves and protected areas of national parks.

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

Slovakia · Romania · Ukraine · Austria · Hungary · Czechia · Poland

Mountain ranges

Mátra, Strážov Mountains, Piatra Craiului, Krasna Polonyna, Poiana Ruscă Mountains, Skole Beskids, Little Carpathians, Vihorlat-Gutin Volcanic Ridge, Pieniny

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 young, undamaged mushrooms that you can confidently identify. Do not taste raw mushrooms. Mushroom dishes are not recommended for children under 12 years old. In case of suspected poisoning, call 103 (or 112).

Look-alikes — how to tell them apart

Protection and rules

Not protected. Collecting mushrooms in reserves and protected areas of national parks is prohibited; in other forests for personal use — it is allowed.

FAQ