 Most species of "Hygrocybe" are soil-dwelling, though a few (such as "Hygrocybe mexicana" and "H. rosea") are only known from mossy tree trunks or logs.In Europe, species are typical of unimproved (nutrient-poor), short-sward grasslands, often termed "waxcap grasslands", but elsewhere they are more commonly found in woodland.Their metabolism has long been debated, but recent research suggests that they are not saprotrophic  but rather symbiotically associated the roots of higher plants or mosses.