Rosso coral or Upright coral

How they differ, how to recognize them and which is more dangerous — a mushroom comparison

The short answer

Rosso coral and Upright coral are similar species: Rosso coral is edible, while Upright coral is inedible. The main visible difference: use: Rosso coral — cook fresh, pickling, Upright coral — not eaten. The mushrooms also differ in the following features: size, cap color, taste.

Rosso coral

Ramaria botrytis

EdibleExpert-verified

Upright coral

Ramaria stricta

InedibleExpert-verified

📊 Comparing characteristics

Comparison of characteristics: Rosso coral and Upright coral
Characteristic	Rosso coral	Upright coral
Edibility class	Rosso coral Edible	Upright coral Inedible
Season	Rosso coral SummerAutumn	Upright coral SummerAutumn
Use	Rosso coral Cook freshPickling	Upright coral Not eaten
Size	Rosso coral Large (over 15 cm)	Upright coral Small (up to 5 cm)
Cap color	Rosso coral WhiteCreamPink	Upright coral YellowBrown
Cap shape	Rosso coral Irregular	Upright coral Irregular
Cap surface	Rosso coral Smooth	Upright coral Smooth
Taste	Rosso coral Mild	Upright coral Bitter
Smell	Rosso coral Pleasant	Upright coral PleasantAnise
Flesh color change	Rosso coral No change	Upright coral Darkens
Hymenophore	Rosso coral Smooth	Upright coral Smooth
Stem	Rosso coral Central	Upright coral Central
Ring (veil)	Rosso coral No ring	Upright coral No ring
Volva	Rosso coral No volva	Upright coral No volva
Substrate	Rosso coral SoilForest litter	Upright coral Dead woodOn wood
Nutrition type	Rosso coral Mycorrhizal	Upright coral Saprotroph
Partner trees	Rosso coral BeechOakFir	Upright coral BeechOakHornbeam

📅 Seasonality

Rosso coral

Fruiting season

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

August – October

Upright coral

Fruiting season

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

August – October

🔬 Morphology

Cap

Rosso coral

There's no cap in the usual sense — the mushroom forms a bushy, coral-like fruiting body. Overall size: 10-20 cm tall, 15-30 cm across, shape compact and rounded to cushion-like. It consists of a thick shared trunk at the bottom and numerous branching "fingers" (branchlets) on top. The base is white to cream, the branchlets pale cream with characteristic pinkish-red or wine-purple tips — a diagnostic feature.

Upright coral

A bushy fruiting body with no cap. Size 5-10 cm tall, 3-7 cm across. Branches thin, straight, parallel, rising vertically, like a little brush or broom. Color ochre-yellow, becoming brownish-yellow to brown with age. The branch tips are thin, pointed, the same color, often darker at the base.

Hymenophore

Rosso coral

The spore-bearing layer covers the surface of the "fingers" (no gills or pores). Spore print ochre to yellowish.

Upright coral

The spore-bearing layer covers the surface of the branches. Spore print ochre.

Stem

Rosso coral

The shared base of the cluster is thick, fleshy, white, 3-8 cm tall, 4-6 cm across. Upward it divides into numerous branches, then into smaller branchlets with pink tips. The surface of the base is smooth, white, yellowing with age.

Upright coral

Shared base short, thin, 1-3 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm across, ochre-white with fine felty threads at the bottom (where it attaches to the substrate).

Flesh

Rosso coral

Flesh firm, white, marbled, becoming rather tough and fibrous. It doesn't change color when cut — an important diagnostic feature (toxic ramarias may darken). Smell pleasant, fruity, sometimes with a hint of radish.

Upright coral

Flesh thin, limp, yellowish. Quickly turns brown when pressed or cut — a characteristic reaction and an important diagnostic. Taste distinctly bitter, astringent.

Smell

Rosso coral

Pleasant, fresh, fruity-mushroomy, with a hint of radish in young ones. Not sharp, no chemical notes.

Upright coral

Faintly mushroomy with a hint of anise or fresh conifer cones.

📍 Habitats

Rosso coral

Deciduous forestMixed forest

Upright coral

Deciduous forestMixed forest

👀 Similar mushrooms — don't mix them up!

Ramaria flava

Upright coral

Ramaria aurea

Bitter coral

Rosso coral

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can Rosso coral and Upright coral be mixed up?

Yes, they look so similar that people often mix them up. The use, size, cap color help tell them apart.

How to tell Rosso coral from Upright coral?

The main differences: use: Rosso coral — cook fresh, pickling, Upright coral — not eaten; size: Rosso coral — large (over 15 cm), Upright coral — small (up to 5 cm); cap color: Rosso coral — white, cream, pink, Upright coral — yellow, brown. As for edibility: Rosso coral is edible, Upright coral is inedible. The full table of characteristics is higher up on this page.

Is Upright coral edible?

Upright coral — inedible.

When do Rosso coral and Upright coral grow?

Rosso coral — August–October; Upright coral — August–October. Their seasons overlap, so be especially careful.

Sources

[1]Вікіпедія (українська)
[2]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
[3]MycoBank Database
[4]Index Fungorum
[5]GBIF
[6]iNaturalist Ukraine