Found in North America and Europe, D. venosa appears to favor banks and slopes and sheltered sites.

[10] Although young fruiting bodies are cup-shaped, when they are 7 to 8 cm (2+3⁄4 to 3+1⁄4 in) in diameter, the apothecia split and flatten down to lie in the soil.

Peziza species generally lack an odor,[11] have thinner flesh than D. venosa, and will turn a dark blue color if a drop of iodine solution is placed on it.

[7] Additionally, the tips of asci in Peziza species will stain blue with iodine, a feature that can be observed with a light microscope.

[12] D. venosa is found in North America[13] (between April and June, especially from the Lower Midwest to New York)[11] and Europe (including Bulgaria,[14] Sweden,[15] Spain,[16] and Wales).

[10] D. venosa is a choice edible mushroom,[6] although one author notes that only collectors who have the equipment to check its microscopic characters should consider consuming the species, as it may be confused with several other brown cup fungi.