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Scarlet elf cup fungus on a mossy stick
Not a food mushroombeginner-friendly group

Scarlet Elf Cup

Sarcoscypha coccinea

A brilliant scarlet cup fungus on mossy fallen sticks in winter and early spring.

Photo: Allison McCabe, CC0
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Identification warning

Not treated as food here; collect for study only.

Season
Winter to early spring
Habitat
Fallen hardwood sticks, often buried in moss or leaf litter
Underside
Whitish, downy outer surface; no gills or pores
Spore evidence
White

Where it grows

Tracked records and known growing zone

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Squares: where people recorded it, brighter where more people did
Verified records
1,319
People who recorded it
890
Most records (northern hemisphere)
Jan–Mar
Records span
2002–2026

Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.

Observation season

When field records occur

Choose a hemisphere · All recorded years; not a current forecast.

Choose the hemisphere you want to study. Country detection is approximate and some countries span the equator.

Compare before concluding

Lookalikes to rule out

Stalked scarlet cups

harmless

Sarcoscypha austriaca and S. dudleyi differ microscopically and are the common species in North America.

Eyelash cup

harmless

Scutellinia is tiny, orange-red, and fringed with dark hairs.

Identification

The cup is bright scarlet inside and pale, whitish, and downy outside, often on a short stem. It grows on dead hardwood sticks lying in moss or leaf litter. It appears in the cold months.

Uses and ecology

Scarlet elf cups decompose fallen sticks and are indicators of clean air and damp woodland. Their vivid color in winter makes them a favorite for photographers.

Memorable fact

It is one of the few mushrooms that fruits in the depth of winter, sometimes showing red against snow.

Sources

Never eat a mushroom from this page alone

Confirm identity using the whole specimen, multiple reputable sources, and a qualified local expert. Identified edible species still require appropriate preparation. Cooking does not make a poisonous mushroom safe.

Safety and poison response
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