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Pale brown summer bolete with a netted stem
Choice edibleintermediate

Summer Bolete

Boletus reticulatus / Summer cep

An early porcini with a pale, often cracked brown cap and a fine white net over the entire stem.

Photo: Carminda Santos, CC BY
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Identification warning

Rule out the bitter bolete, which has a dark net and pinkish pores.

Season
Late spring to early autumn
Habitat
Oak, beech, and other broadleaf woodland
Underside
White pores turning yellow-olive
Spore evidence
Olive brown

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
3,984
People who recorded it
1,679
Most records (northern hemisphere)
Jun–Aug
Records span
1989–2026

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.

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Lookalikes to rule out

Bitter bolete has a dark brown net and pink pores, and tastes bitter.

King Bolete

harmless

King bolete has a net only on the upper stem and a smoother cap.

Pine Bolete

harmless

Pine bolete has a darker wine-red cap and grows with conifers.

Identification

The cap is pale hazel to light brown, dry, and often cracks in dry weather. The stem is club-shaped and covered from top to bottom in a fine, pale net. Pores are white, maturing yellowish olive, and do not bruise blue. It appears earlier in the year than most porcini.

Uses and ecology

Summer boletes partner with oaks and beeches. They are prized in Europe and are often infested by insect larvae in warm weather, so check each cap.

Memorable fact

It is often the first porcini of the year, sometimes appearing in late spring.

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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