Pacific Golden Chanterelle

Cantharellus formosus

Edible

Also called pacific chanterelle, western golden chanterelle.

The Pacific golden chanterelle is the common chanterelle of Pacific Northwest conifer forests, fruiting from late summer into winter. It is golden orange with a pinkish cast to its blunt false gills, and it is the official state mushroom of Washington.

A pale golden chanterelle seen from the side, showing its wavy cap edge and the ridges running down its stem

The tell

Golden-orange vase with pinkish-tinged forked ridges, under Douglas-fir and hemlock in the Pacific Northwest.

Field marks

What to look at

Cap, underside and stem show in a photo. The spore print does not, and it is often the deciding check.

Cap
Convex becoming flat to vase-shaped with a wavy edge. Yellow-orange to apricot, often with fine, darker brownish scales or fibers in the center, especially in dry weather.
Underside
Blunt, forked false gills with cross-veins that run down the stem. They are pale yellow to orange, often with a pinkish tinge.
Stem
Paler than the cap or the same color, solid, tapering downward. No ring and no cup.
Flesh
White to pale yellowish, firm and stringy. Smell is mild to fruity.
Spore print
White to pale yellowish.
Size
Cap 1.5 to 5 inches wide (4 to 13 cm); stem 1 to 4 inches tall (2.5 to 10 cm).

Where and when

Where and when it grows

Habitat
Moist second-growth and old-growth conifer forests, especially under Douglas-fir and western hemlock, often in moss and needle duff.
Grows on
Soil, mycorrhizal with conifer roots.
Season
Late summer through fall, and into early winter near the coast.
Range
The Pacific Northwest, from British Columbia to northern California.

Lookalikes

What the pacific golden chanterelle gets confused with

Each card says how to tell the two apart.

Edibility

What the field guides say

Edible

Field guides list the Pacific golden chanterelle as a choice edible, and it is harvested commercially in the Pacific Northwest. It was named the state mushroom of Washington in 2009. The western jack-o'-lantern, Omphalotus olivascens, is the main toxic lookalike in the southern part of its range.

This page states what field guides record. It is not advice to eat, taste or handle anything, and a photo cannot settle edibility. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom that may be toxic, call poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) right away, before symptoms start: the deadliest species act hours later.

FAQ

Questions about the pacific golden chanterelle

What is the state mushroom of Washington?

The Pacific golden chanterelle, Cantharellus formosus, was named Washington's state mushroom in 2009. It is common in the state's conifer forests and is harvested commercially.

How is the Pacific golden chanterelle different from other chanterelles?

It is the golden chanterelle of Pacific Northwest conifer forests, growing mainly with Douglas-fir and western hemlock. Its false gills often have a pinkish tinge, and the cap can show fine brownish scales. Eastern golden chanterelles are different species that grow mostly with hardwoods.

When is chanterelle season in the Pacific Northwest?

From late summer, usually after the first fall rains, through November, and into December or later near the coast where frost comes late.

Sources

Where these facts come from

  1. Cantharellus formosus

    MushroomExpert.com

  2. Cantharellus formosus

    Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia

  3. Cantharellus formosus

    MykoWeb, California Fungi

  4. Cantharellus formosus

    Index Fungorum

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