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Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
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The Shoehorn oyster (Hohenbuehelia petaloides) is an oyster mushroom look-alike that can be found in New England summer-fall.
![](https://eattheplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/376280449_696557532521569_7164677606873650798_n-1.jpg)
Unlike true oyster mushrooms, the shoehorn oyster usually grows on wood chips or wood-rich soil. It can be found growing in clusters in urban settings or growing alone or in small groups in woodland settings.
![](https://eattheplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/378118244_696557539188235_6982177586848662743_n.jpg)
The shoehorn oyster usually digests decaying wood but is also capable of capturing and digesting nematodes.
![](https://eattheplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/376274921_696557535854902_4715213763339597840_n.jpg)
The shoehorn oyster has crowded whitish gills, a mealy odor, and a white spore print.
Shoehorn oysters are considered edible, but have a mealy texture so are much less desirable than true oyster mushrooms.
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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.