Conservation Status: Not of concern

Hygrophorus speciosus is perhaps the most picturesque species in the genus and, when found in its typical habitat, is easily identified. When fresh, it has a brilliant reddish orange cap and white to yellow stipe, both of which are slimy. As the fruitbodies age, they become less slimy and the cap color usually fades to orange or yellow. The decurrent gills are whitish to pale yellow. H. speciosus is found most commonly in the inland portion of the PNW, where larch is locally abundant. Other than the color scheme and tree preference, H. speciosus and H. hypothejus are quite similar.