Updated 28 July 2026
How are Penny bun (cep) doing in County Roscommon this July?
The best time for penny bun (cep) in Ireland is August to November, with the peak normally in the middle of that range. Today they’re at 31% and building in County Roscommon
Porcini is really a small group of closely related boletes. The summer cep (Boletus reticulatus, also called Boletus aestivalis) fruits in warm broadleaf woodland from late spring into summer, well before the main autumn flush of Boletus edulis, so an early-season find is entirely natural. The forecast reflects this wider group.
Brown bun shaped cap, often greasy when damp. The underside has a sponge of pores, white at first then turning yellowish to olive, never red. The thick bulbous stem is pale with a fine raised white network near the top, and the flesh is white and does not change colour when cut. Smell is pleasant and nutty.
Keep fresh caps in a paper bag in the fridge and use within a couple of days, as they spoil and get wormy fast. Slicing and drying is the classic long term method; they also freeze well if briefly sauteed first.
Can be confused with the bitter bolete (Tylopilus felleus), which has a darker net on the stem, pinkish pores when mature and a strongly bitter taste, and with red pored boletes. Avoid any bolete with red or orange pores or flesh that stains strongly blue, and taste a tiny piece of any doubtful bolete to detect bitterness.
Roscommon is a landlocked county of gentle limestone lowlands, drumlin hummocks and broad river plains, with no coast and few real hills. Much of it lies between the River Shannon to the west and the River Suck to the east, threaded with raised bogs, fens, callows and seasonal turlough lakes. Woodland is patchy but rich, ranging from mixed estate forests like Lough Key to scattered stands of oak, ash, birch and hazel alongside Coillte conifer plantations. The most productive ground for fungi is the damp broadleaf woodland, bog margins and old parkland, plus the grassy callows and pastures that fruit with field species.
The climate is mild, humid and distinctly oceanic, with rain spread generously across the year and few weather extremes. Frequent damp spells over the bogs and river meadows keep the soil moist, which suits fungi well from late summer into autumn. Expect a quiet, low-key foraging county where wetland edges, bog fringes and limestone pastures matter as much as the woods themselves. Autumn after rain is the reliable window, with grassland and woodland species both worth seeking once the ground stays damp.
FAQ
When is penny bun (cep) season in County Roscommon, Ireland?
In County Roscommon, Ireland, penny bun (cep) season usually runs August to November. The exact start shifts year to year with rain and temperature, so some years they show up early and some years late. Right now (July) the live forecast for County Roscommon, Ireland reads 31% and conditions are building.
Where do penny bun (cep) grow in County Roscommon, Ireland?
Grows in mycorrhizal partnership with trees, especially under pine, spruce, birch, beech and oak, on well drained soil. Found in conifer and broadleaf woodland and along woodland edges and tracks. They tend to come back to the same kinds of ground year after year, so once you find good cover it is worth checking again. ShroomCast does not share exact spots; it tells you the timing for County Roscommon, Ireland so you know when it is worth heading out.
How do I know penny bun (cep) season has started in County Roscommon, Ireland?
Season usually kicks off after a warm spell followed by steady rain, with the first flushes appearing somewhere in the August to November window. The clearest sign is the live forecast lifting off zero into ‘just starting’ or ‘building’. For County Roscommon, Ireland it currently sits at 31% and is building.
Are penny bun (cep) out near me right now in County Roscommon, Ireland?
Today the penny bun (cep) forecast for County Roscommon, Ireland is 31% and conditions are building. That is a live read for the region this July, and it shifts with the weather rather than following a fixed calendar. It tells you if it is worth heading out in County Roscommon, Ireland right now.
What should I look for this week for penny bun (cep) in County Roscommon, Ireland?
This week in County Roscommon, Ireland the forecast is 31% and building. Grows in mycorrhizal partnership with trees, especially under pine, spruce, birch, beech and oak, on well drained soil. Found in conifer and broadleaf woodland and along woodland edges and tracks. The 14-day outlook on the page shows whether conditions are climbing toward a flush or easing off, so you can pick your day.
See the live regional forecast in the ShroomCast app.
Scale: 0-20% very low · 20-40% low · 40-60% moderate · 60-80% high · 80-100% excellent. ShroomCast forecasts fruiting probability from weather, soil, forests and years of observations – a guide, not a guarantee of finds.