Hedgehog Mushroom / Bellybutton Hedgehog
Hul'qumi'num: kwumsuli'qw (mushroom)
Latin: Hydnum umbilicatum
Photo Credits: Flora Lake
Description: The Hedgehog mushroom is a part of the toothed mushroom family. These fungi are uniquely identifiable in that they don’t have gills or pores, but many teeth that hang down where gills or pores would usually be present. Hedgehog mushrooms are small to medium mushrooms that grow from the forest floor. H.umbilicatum specifically is on the small side compared to other hedgehog species. Their caps are rounded when young, becoming flatter with age. H.umbilicatum, as the name suggests, does appear to have a bellybutton at the center of its cap. The caps can be more circular to irregular and furled in shape, with their margin rolled downwards. The underside of course has teeth, and they become smaller as they reach the upper part of the stem. The cap can be a pale pink to orange or “coral” in colour, with its underside, teeth, and stem usually lighter in colour. They will have a faint sweet smell, and their texture is brittle and fleshy. Spore print is white/cream coloured.
Look-a-Like: There are more than a few mushrooms known as “Hedgehog” mushrooms. They all look quite similar, varying slightly in size, cap shape, and other characteristics. Fortunately, there are no poisonous look-a-likes, and all Hydnum species are edible and choice mushrooms. This makes this a very friendly mushroom to forage, just make sure it has teeth!
Harvest and Sustainability: You will find Hedgehogs typically in fall and through the winter in milder coastal climates. They grow in scattered groups, in middle-aged, not too dense, conifer forests. I have read that you can also find them in deciduous forests. Usually, they overlap with the end of the Chantrelle season. I also find them growing in similar areas to Chantrelles, if not in the same areas I had foraged Chantrelles earlier in the season. This is a good place to start looking for Hedgehogs! I find that when foraging and trying to spot Hedgehogs, the tops of their caps have a similar-looking texture to that of a Chantrelle as well. This makes sense since they are close relatives! Their fleshy and smooth quality often sticks out from the more matte and textured understory of the forest.
Mushrooms are releasing spores as soon as their undersides are exposed. It is in good practice to collect in vessels, such as woven baskets and fabric bags, which will allow more spores to spread as you walk through the forest. This is in your best interest as it helps the mushroom spread in future years! Of course, always respect the habitat and only take what you need. We are sharing the forest and its resources.
Uses: Hedgehogs may be one of my favorite mushrooms to eat. They do well fried, and I would recommend them in a dish that showcases their flavor. Their flavor is mild, perhaps slightly nutty, and sweet. Absolutely delicious. They do not get buggy as some mushrooms do, and they keep quite well in a paper bag in the fridge. I can not say quite how long as they are so small it is hard to forage larger amounts, and they never last more than 24hrs in my fridge.
Photo Credits: Flora Lake
