Rufous Candy Cap
Lactarius rufulus · Family Russulaceae · Updated October 2026
130US records
5states
Febbusiest month
130 US records since 1907 (90 in the last 10 years)
Last seen Jan 19, 2026 (about 9 months ago) in Westwood Hills Park, CA, photographed by an iNaturalist user, with the ID agreed on by other iNaturalist users (research grade). Most US records come from California, Washington and Oregon, and the busiest months are Feb, Jan and Mar. (Data as of October 26, 2026; records can lag by weeks.)
⚠ Never eat a wild mushroom based on this site. We show where fungi have been recorded, nothing more. We never say any mushroom is edible or safe, and you shouldn't decide that from any website, app or photo. Many deadly mushrooms look like harmless ones. If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away.
Lookalike warning. Many mushrooms, including deadly ones, closely resemble each other, and the only reliable identification comes from an expert looking at the actual specimen (often with spore prints or microscopy). Never use a name, photo or record count on this page to decide what something is.
When it's recorded
Records by month, all years. Busiest: Feb, Jan, Mar.
Where it's recorded
| State | Records | Latest sighting |
|---|---|---|
| California | 126 | Jan 19, 2026 |
| Washington | 1 | Oct 29, 1974 |
| Oregon | 1 | Nov 29, 1934 |
| North Carolina | 1 | Jul 21, 2001 |
| Maryland | 1 | Oct 20, 1936 |
Top counties
- Santa Barbara County, CA (23) · latest Apr 21, 2023
- Marin County, CA (17) · latest Mar 18, 2023
- Los Angeles County, CA (17) · latest Nov 23, 2025
- San Mateo County, CA (12) · latest Feb 1, 2023
- Alameda County, CA (12) · latest Mar 20, 2023
- Santa Cruz County, CA (10) · latest Dec 30, 2025
- Sonoma County, CA (9) · latest Feb 5, 2024
- Contra Costa County, CA (6) · latest Jan 30, 2022
- Monterey County, CA (4) · latest Feb 14, 1998
- Placer County, CA (4) · latest Jan 19, 2024
More on this species from GBIF.
Bring along
🍄
Regional mushroom field guideSee on Amazon🍄
Folding mushroom knife with brushSee on Amazon🍄
Wicker foraging basketSee on Amazon🍄
10x hand lens / loupeSee on Amazon🍄
Spore print paperSee on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.