 In addition to its required association with oaks , C. cinnabarinum appears to be restricted to wetter forests . Early descriptions of its habitat found it in " rather moist situations " and in " damp woods " , and David Arora has more recently described its preference for the humid forests of the southern Appalachians . In contrast , it has not been detected in the dry oak forests of California and is likely also absent from the dry tropical forests of western Costa Rica . In Brazil it has been observed in the sandy soil and drier conditions of the Caatinga and cerrado , although only after periods of heavy rainfall . Its outer layer may provide protection from desiccation . Fruit bodies are most common in the late summer and fall , although spring occurrences are known . 
