Bondarzewia berkeleyi – Berkeley’s Polypore

Berkeley’s polypore usually causes parasitic butt rot to the hardwood tree that it grows next to. It will occasionally be found at the base of dead or dying trees, acting as a decomposer.

When the mushroom first fruits it appears as fleshy white knobs. As the mushroom ages, it develops more yellow tones.

Berkeley’s polypore is in the Russulaceae family. It is more closely related to russulas and milk caps, than it is to other polypore mushrooms.

 

Berkeley’s polypore is edible when young and easy to cut. The mushroom gets tough and bitter as it ages.

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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.