Updated 28 July 2026
Are Penny bun (cep) out in County Wicklow yet?
This week’s penny bun (cep) forecast for County Wicklow, Ireland reads 22% and building. The 14-day outlook decides whether to go now or wait, so check https://shroomcast.net/forecast/penny-bun-cep-forecast-for-county-wicklow-ireland/ before you set out
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.
Late summer into autumn, roughly August to November in Britain and Ireland.
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.
Wicklow is dominated by Ireland’s largest mountain range, a sweep of rounded granite uplands, blanket bog and heather moorland cut by deep glacial valleys such as Glendalough and Glenmalure. Beyond the mountains the land drops through wooded river valleys to a fertile coastal strip along the Irish Sea, earning the county its name as the Garden of Ireland. Much of the woodland is Coillte conifer plantation, mostly Sitka spruce and pine, but Wicklow also holds some of Ireland’s finest surviving native oak woods around Glendalough and the Vale of Clara, mixed with birch, hazel and holly. Look for mushrooms among mossy oak and birch, on the conifer floor, and along the grassy margins of forest tracks.
The climate is mild and distinctly wet, with the high ground catching far more rain than the coast and staying damp and misty well into autumn. These soft, humid conditions keep the woods and bogs productive for fungi from late summer onwards. Autumn is the main season, with ceps and chanterelles in the older mixed woods, plenty of fungi on the conifer floor, and waxcaps on the open upland grasslands. Much of the high ground is open access, though foragers should respect the national park around Glendalough and stick to picking for personal use.
FAQ
How does the live penny bun (cep) forecast for County Wicklow, Ireland work?
We take the usual penny bun (cep) season for County Wicklow, Ireland (August to November) and weigh it against the weather right now and over the last few days. That gives you one live number, today 22% and building, plus a 14-day outlook and a normal-year line to compare against.
When is penny bun (cep) season in County Wicklow, Ireland?
In County Wicklow, 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 Wicklow, Ireland reads 22% and conditions are building.
Where do penny bun (cep) grow in County Wicklow, 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 Wicklow, Ireland so you know when it is worth heading out.
How do I know penny bun (cep) season has started in County Wicklow, 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 Wicklow, Ireland it currently sits at 22% and is building.
Are penny bun (cep) out near me right now in County Wicklow, Ireland?
Today the penny bun (cep) forecast for County Wicklow, Ireland is 22% 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 Wicklow, Ireland right now.
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.