PNW Boletes

I just finished the first version of a PNW Boletes illustration. It sorts our boletes into general groups by genus, which should help simplify things. Beginners interested in edible boletes should start with Boletus, the king boletes, which are common, tasty, and among the easier boletes to identify. The admirable bolete (Aureoboletus mirabilis) is another common, easily recognized edible.

Suillus (the slippery jacks) and Leccinum both include edible and inedible species.

Few boletes here are seriously toxic. Most of the problem species cause stomach upset or are simply too bitter to eat, like the bitter boletes. The main exception is the red-pored bolete (Rubroboletus pulcherrimus), which has been linked to at least one death. It is easy to avoid if you don’t eat red-pored boletes.

For the full written guide to these genera — what to eat, what to avoid, when each group fruits, and a king bolete look-alike comparison — see Boletes of the Pacific Northwest. To key out a specific find, use the Bolete Finder.