It is found in mountains of Europe, North America, and Siberia, strictly associated with several species of pine tree.

Phylogenetic analysis has shown that S. sibiricus is closely related to S. umbonatus and S. americanus, and may in fact be conspecific with the latter species.

Roy Watling later considered this a nomen nudum—not published with an adequate description, and therefore failing to qualify as a formal scientific name.

Section Suillus includes species with glandular dots on the stem, and a partial veil which becomes appendiculate on the cap edge.

Characteristics of species in subsection Latiporini include cinnamon-coloured spore prints without an olive tinge, and wide pores on the underside of the cap (wider than 1 mm when mature).

[8] A phylogenetic analysis of various eastern Asian and eastern North American disjunct Suillus species revealed that S. sibiricus forms a well-supported clade with S. americanus and S. umbonatus;[2] these relationships are corroborated by a previous analysis (1996), which used a larger sampling of Suillus species to determine taxonomic relationships in the genus.

However, the phylogenetic relationships among the tested isolates determined from different methods of analysis are not always consistent and could not be established with confidence.

The cap is at first hemispherical and straw yellow, but expands with maturity and finally flattens out becoming darker with reddish brown spots or fibrils.

The pores are angular, wider than 1 mm in diameter and the same colour as the tubes but stain dirty pink or vinaceous when bruised.

Although some authors have tried to distinguish between the two with by using width of the stem, or by differences in fruit body colouration, it is acknowledged that these characteristics are variable, and depend on environmental factors.

[14] The phylogenetic analysis of Wu and colleagues (2000) suggests that the two taxa may be the same, although more samples from different geographical areas will be needed to verify this.

[24] The European Council for Conservation of Fungi (ECCF) has suggested Suillus sibiricus be listed in Appendix II of the Bern Convention.

[15] Factors that threaten the habitat of S. sibiricus include deforestation and construction of skiing pistes and other infrastructure for winter sports.