Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum)

Edibility

Choice

Lookalike Danger

1 / 5

Habitat

🌲 Conifer forests

Season

Aug – Oct🌱 Now

"Not a mushroom — a parasite that transforms a mediocre russula into a dense seafood-flavored feast."

🌳 Host Trees & Plants

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.

Conifer Forest

Pinaceae (generic)

Ectomycorrhizal

Generic conifer habitat — pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, or Douglas-fir. Shown when the species is reported from conifers without a specific tree.

Habitat

Mixed conifer forests. The parasite needs a host Russula or Lactarius, so look where those grow — moist, mossy conifer forests at mid elevations.

Look for this on the ground

Mossy old-growth floor

Deep emerald moss carpet, scattered conifer needles, sword fern fronds.

Season Windows by Region

Region

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Umpqua NF / Diamond Lake

OR · 1,000–9,173 ft

Siuslaw NF / Oregon Dunes

OR · 0–4,097 ft

Colville NF / Selkirks

WA · 1,800–7,309 ft

Lincoln NF / Sacramento Mtns

NM · 4,500–11,973 ft

Sandia Mountains / Cibola NF

NM · 5,000–10,678 ft

Shasta-Trinity NF

CA · 1,500–14,179 ft

Mendocino NF / Yolla Bolly

CA · 1,500–8,092 ft

Sequoia NF / Kern Plateau

CA · 1,500–9,000 ft

Jones Pass Road

8,000–11,000 ft

Gordon Gulch / Nederland

7,000–9,000 ft

Kenosha Pass

8,000–10,500 ft

Guanella Pass Corridor

9,000–12,000 ft

Vasquez Creek / Winter Park

8,500–11,000 ft

Gunnison NF North — Crested Butte

8,500–12,000 ft

Gunnison NF South — Almont/Pitkin

8,000–11,000 ft

Cottonwood Pass

9,000–12,000 ft

San Juan NF — Pagosa Corridor

7,500–11,000 ft

Ruby Mountains

NV · 6,000–11,387 ft

Spring Mountains / Mt Charleston

NV · 6,000–11,916 ft

Jarbidge Wilderness

NV · 6,500–10,839 ft

San Juan NF — Silverton/Durango

8,000–12,000 ft

Grand Mesa

9,000–11,000 ft

Glenwood Canyon / White River NF

6,500–9,500 ft

Vail / Eagle County

8,000–11,000 ft

Steamboat / Routt NF

7,000–10,000 ft

Pike NF South / Tarryall

7,500–10,500 ft

Royal Gorge / Wet Mountains

6,500–9,500 ft

Leadville / Arkansas Headwaters

9,000–12,000 ft

Poudre Canyon / Roosevelt NF

6,500–10,000 ft

Rampart Range / Palmer Divide

7,000–9,500 ft

Clearwater Mountains

ID · 2,500–7,500 ft

Boise Mountains

ID · 4,000–9,500 ft

Salmon River / Lemhi

ID · 4,500–10,000 ft

Sun Valley / Wood River

ID · 5,500–10,500 ft

Bighorn Mountains

WY · 5,500–13,000 ft

Bridger-Teton / Tetons

WY · 6,000–13,500 ft

Wind River Range

WY · 7,000–13,800 ft

Absaroka / Shoshone NF

WY · 6,000–12,500 ft

North Cascades

WA · 1,500–8,000 ft

Central Cascades / Snoqualmie

WA · 1,500–7,000 ft

Olympic Peninsula

WA · 500–6,000 ft

Gifford Pinchot / South Cascades

WA · 1,000–8,000 ft

Okanogan Highlands

WA · 2,500–7,500 ft

Mt Hood / North Oregon Cascades

OR · 2,000–8,000 ft

Central Oregon / Deschutes

OR · 3,500–9,000 ft

South Cascades / Klamath

OR · 4,000–9,000 ft

OR · 3,500–9,500 ft

OR · 4,000–8,000 ft

UT · 5,500–11,500 ft

UT · 7,000–13,500 ft

UT · 6,000–12,700 ft

Sangre de Cristo / Carson NF

NM · 7,000–13,100 ft

Jemez / Santa Fe NF

NM · 6,500–11,200 ft

Santa Fe / Pecos Wilderness

NM · 7,000–12,600 ft

Gila NF / Black Range

NM · 5,500–10,800 ft

Coconino / Flagstaff

AZ · 6,500–10,000 ft

Kaibab Plateau / North Rim

AZ · 6,500–9,200 ft

Northern Sierra / Tahoe

CA · 5,000–9,000 ft

Central Sierra / Alpine

CA · 6,000–11,000 ft

South Sierra / El Dorado

CA · 5,000–9,500 ft

Northeast CA / Modoc-Lassen

CA · 4,500–8,500 ft

Snake Range / Great Basin

NV · 6,000–13,063 ft

Monongahela National Forest

WV · 1,500–4,863 ft

Allegheny National Forest

PA · 1,000–2,300 ft

Pocono Mountains

PA · 800–2,200 ft

Great Smoky Mountains

TN · 900–6,643 ft

Apalachicola National Forest

FL · 10–300 ft

Ocala National Forest

FL · 20–200 ft

ME · 400–4,170 ft

ME · 500–5,267 ft

NH · 800–6,288 ft

VT · 800–4,393 ft

VT · 600–3,300 ft

SD · 3,200–7,242 ft

Custer NF / Slim Buttes

SD · 3,000–4,000 ft

Pine Ridge / Oglala NG

NE · 3,400–5,000 ft

OK · 600–2,500 ft

AR · 600–2,700 ft

MN · 1,300–2,301 ft

MN · 1,200–1,500 ft

NC · 0–150 ft

NY · 1,000–5,344 ft

TN · 1,000–6,285 ft

Blackwater / FL Panhandle

FL · 50–300 ft

MN North Shore / Sawtooth

MN · 600–2,301 ft

NJ Pine Barrens

NJ · 0–200 ft

Cape Cod National Seashore

MA · 0–306 ft

Mon NF South / Cranberry Wilderness

WV · 2,500–4,863 ft

Western NY / Allegany SP

NY · 1,500–2,300 ft

Pine Creek / North-Central PA

PA · 1,000–2,300 ft

Nebraska NF / Bessey (Sandhills)

NE · 2,500–3,200 ft

Glacier / Flathead NF

MT · 3,500–8,500 ft

Mount Blue Sky / Echo Lake

9,000–11,700 ft

Bitterroot / Sapphire

MT · 3,500–9,000 ft

Helena / Big Belts

MT · 4,000–8,500 ft

Gallatin / Madison

MT · 5,500–10,500 ft

Beartooth / Absaroka

MT · 5,000–12,000 ft

Sawtooth / Stanley Basin

ID · 6,000–10,500 ft

White Mountains / Apache-Sitgreaves

AZ · 6,500–11,400 ft

Clear Creek Canyon / Mayhem Gulch

5,500–8,500 ft

Growing Requirements

Min Soil Temp

55°F

Moisture Need

rain 1.0in 10d

Drought Tolerance

low

Elevation Range

0–14,179 ft

Look-Alikes

Species to rule out before picking. Each is tagged with its own edibility.

Unparasitized Russula/Lactarius

Use caution

The host species range from edible to mildly toxic, but the parasitized "lobster" form is reliably edible and distinctive.

Identification Tips

✓The bright red-orange color and firm texture are unmistakable
✓Smell should be pleasant, seafood-like — reject if it smells off
✓Old specimens turn purple and smell fishy — skip these
✓Pairs beautifully with pasta, risotto, or seafood dishes

Lobster MushroomHypomyces lactifluorum

🌳 Host Trees & Plants

Habitat

Season Windows by Region

Growing Requirements

Look-Alikes

Unparasitized Russula/Lactarius

Identification Tips

Field Notes

Found Lobster Mushroom?