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Edibility
Choice
Lookalike Danger
1 / 5
Habitat
🌳 Oak root zone
Season
Dec – Mar
"Underground. Dogs sniff them out. Shave paper-thin over fresh pasta — a little goes a long way."
This species is found with or partners with the following hosts. Ectomycorrhizal hosts (green border) form a root-level partnership; ericoid / arbutoid shrubs (purple border) share the same mycorrhizal networks.

Truffle / bolete / chanterelle host. Acorns edible after leaching.
The Périgord truffle — blackish, warted, intensely aromatic underground fruiting body. Commercial cultivation in North American inoculated orchards; wild specimens are rare. Shaved paper-thin over pasta or eggs — a little goes a long way.
Mycorrhizal with oak, hazelnut, and pine in calcareous soils. European native; US orchards in OR, TN, NC, VA. Winter through early spring.
Min Soil Temp
55°F
Moisture Need
rain 0.5in 7d
Drought Tolerance
moderate
Elevation Range
0–6,684 ft
Tuber aestivum (summer truffle), T. canaliculatum (North American gray) are edible but less prized. Not dangerous.
Scleroderma is toxic. Earthballs have thick black warty rind and black flesh throughout; truffles have white marbling (veins).
Oak root zone
Photograph it and log your observation on iNaturalist. The community can help confirm your ID — always get confirmation before eating.