Loading conditions…
Loading conditions…

Edibility
Toxic
Lookalike Danger
2 / 5
Habitat
🪵 Dead wood
Season
Sep – Nov
"Bitter yellow clusters on stumps. Severe gastro. The most commonly misidentified toxic mushroom in North America."
Mushroom ID is a rule-out game. Every entry below describes something that looks similar — learn the differences before eating.

Sulphur tufts have GREENISH-YELLOW GILLS darkening to olive-purple, extremely BITTER taste, and tight clusters on wood. Honey mushrooms have CREAM to pale-pink gills and a mild mushroomy taste. When in doubt, taste a tiny piece raw and spit — bitter = stop.
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.

Decomposing wood of unspecified species — substrate for many generalist saprobic mushrooms.
Yellow-capped cluster mushroom with olive-green to purple-black gills on hardwood stumps. Extremely bitter — biting and spitting a piece is a quick ID test. Causes violent GI upset and rare liver damage.
Dense clusters on decaying hardwood stumps and buried wood across North America and Europe. Year-round fruiting in mild climates; fall-concentrated in the north.
Min Soil Temp
55°F
Moisture Need
rain 0.5in 7d
Drought Tolerance
moderate
Elevation Range
0–6,684 ft
EDIBLE. Honey mushrooms have white spore print and a persistent ring; sulphur tuft has purple-black spores and no ring. The bitter taste test is fast and reliable.
Mostly edible, some not. Spore prints differ.
Dead wood
Photograph it and log your observation on iNaturalist. The community can help confirm your ID — always get confirmation before eating.