A dark, hollow funnel-shaped chanterelle relative with smoky flavour, sometimes called the "horn of plenty."
Where it grows
Black trumpets appear from late summer into autumn under broadleaved trees — particularly beech and oak on chalky or limey soils. They blend so completely into the leaf litter that they can stand at your feet unseen; foragers learn to spot the small black hollows that hint at clusters.
How to recognise it
The mushroom is a wholly hollow funnel, blackish-brown to charcoal grey on the inside and a paler, slightly mealy grey on the outside. There are no true gills, just a smooth or faintly veined surface where the spores are produced. The flesh is thin, papery yet pliable, and the stem narrows continuously into the cap.
Edibility & cautions
A choice edible with no dangerous look-alikes — the related Craterellus tubaeformis is paler and equally edible. The flesh dries excellently and concentrates its flavour into something closer to truffle and dark butter.
Culinary use
Add at the end of a sauce or risotto; the colour bleeds dramatically, lending a smoky depth to cream, eggs, and game.
Find more mushrooms by letter
Black Trumpet starts with B and ends with T. Browse other mushrooms along the same letter.
Mushrooms that contain a letter from "Black Trumpet":