Volvariella bombycina – Silky Sheath Mushroom
The Silky Sheath mushroom (Volvariella bombycina) is a rare, edible mushroom that fruits July-November. The Silky sheath can be found growing on hardwood logs or in wounds of standing hardwood trees. The mushroom grows out of a whitish to brownish cup at the base of the stem. The cap is silky white, yellowing with age. […]
Fomitopsis ochracea – American Brown Fomitopsis
The American Brown Fomitopsis (Fomitopsis ochracea) is a polypore that was recently classified in 2011. Before this time, the mushroom was misidentified as multiple other mushroom species, including the Red-belted Polypore (Fomitopsis pinicola). The American brown Fomitopsis causes brown rot on hardwoods and conifers, particularly on birch and Populus species. The cap surface is smooth […]
Hericium coralloides – Coral Tooth Fungus
Coral Tooth Fungus (Hericium coralloides) is an edible mushroom that fruits late August to October. It can be found throughout North America and Europe, as well as in India, Russia, China, and Japan. Coral tooth fungus can be found growing on dead or decaying hardwoods, especially oak and beech. It is saprobic and possibly somewhat […]
Hohenbuehelia petaloides – Shoehorn Oyster
The Shoehorn oyster (Hohenbuehelia petaloides) is an oyster mushroom look-alike that can be found in New England summer-fall. 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. The shoehorn […]
Ganoderma curtisii – Golden Reishi
The Golden Reishi (Ganoderma curtisii) is a saprobic or parasitic mushroom. It can be found on living or dead hardwood trees east of the Rocky Mountains. The golden reishi fruits May-November. Ganoderma curtisii used to be classified as part of the Ganoderma lucidum complex. Ganoderma lucidum is now known to be a primarily European species, […]
Russula cyanoxantha – Charcoal Burner
The Charcoal burner (Russula cyanoxantha) is an edible mushroom with a variable cap color. The cap color ranges from red and yellow to violet, blue-gray, and green. The charcoal burner can have mycorrhizal relationships with both conifers and deciduous trees but is most often found under beeches. It fruits summer-fall. The charcoal burner has soft […]
Tylopilus alboater – Black Velvet Bolete
The Black Velvet Bolete (Tylopilus alboater) is an easy-to-identify choice edible mushroom. The mushroom can be found east of the Rocky Mountains and in Eastern Asia. It is mycorrhizal with deciduous trees, particularly oaks. In Connecticut, the mushroom can be found June-October. The black velvet bolete has a dry cap that looks and feels like […]
Leccinum longicurvipes – Curved-stalk Bolete
The Curved-stalk Bolete (Leccinum longicurvipes) is an edible mushroom that can be found in oak forests from July-September. The curved-stalk bolete almost always has a curved stalk. There are pinkish brown scabers, or dark markings, on its stalk. The mushroom has a moist orangish-brown cap. The pore surface is yellowish and doesn’t stain blue. Spore […]
Trametes versicolor – Turkey tail
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) is one of the most researched medicinal mushrooms. It is very common and grows world-wide. It has many look-a-likes, but no look-a-likes are toxic. Turkey tail fruits most often from June-November on a wide variety of hardwoods and occasionally conifers. It is a saprobic fungus (decomposer) so will be found on […]
Clitopilus prunulus – Sweetbread mushrooms
Sweetbread mushrooms (Clitopilus prunulus) are edible saprobic mushrooms that can be found summer-fall in North America and Europe. Sweetbreads are named after their scent which is reminiscent of raw pastry dough. Sweetbreads grow solitary to gregariously in open areas of forests. The cap is gray to white, convex when young, flattening with maturity. Gills are […]
Fistulina hepatica – Beefsteak fungus
The Beefsteak fungus (Fistulina hepatica) is a rare mushroom that can be found July-October. The Beefsteak fungus resembles a tongue sticking out of a tree when it is young. As it ages, it flattens out and resembles a slab of raw meet. The cap is colored blood-red. The flesh is pale pink with red streaks. […]
Leotia lubrica – Jelly babies
Jelly babies (Leotia lubrica) are gelatinous mushrooms that fruit July-October. They can be found in soil, humus, moss, or well-decayed wood throughout North America. Jelly babies are usually a yellowish-ochre color. They have irregular bumpy caps and a gooey texture. Beneath the caps, the surface is smooth. Jelly babies are ascomycetes, containing spore-bearing structures in […]
Lepista sordida – Sordid blewits
Sordid Blewits (Lepista sordida) are edible mushrooms that can be found in northern temperate zones. Sordid blewits are saprobic, feeding on decomposing organic material including leaf litter, wood chips, and compost. They fruit June-November. The mushrooms will often be found in fairy rings. They can also grow in clusters. Sordid blewits have purplish flesh […]
Lactifluus volemus – Weeping milkcap
The Weeping Milkcap, also known as the Voluminous Latex Milky (Lactifluus volemus), is an edible milkcap that can be found June-September. Milkcaps exude a latex, milky substance when cut as a defense mechanism from predators. The Weeping milkcap can be found worldwide with slight differences. It is now considered a species complex with potentially different […]
Lactifluus corrugis – Corrugated-cap milky
The Corrugated-cap milky (Lactifluus corrugis) is an edible mushroom that is widely distributed in eastern North America. They can be found summer-fall near oak trees. Corrugated-cap milkies have a reddish cap that is covered in a felt-like layer when the mushroom is young. Older specimens have a wrinkled cap appearance. Mushrooms exude a white latex […]
Sarcomyxa serotina – Late Fall Oysters
Late Fall Oysters (Sarcomyxa serotina) are easily identified edible mushrooms that can be found October-December. Late fall oysters can be found on deciduous or conifer logs growing singly or in shelves. They have green, yellow, orange, or purple caps and yellowish gills. There is a line that separates the gills from the stubby stem. The […]
Dryad’s Saddle, a Unique and Tasty Mushroom
Walk around your local forest and you’ll probably spot some wild mushrooms growing on tree stumps. Take a closer look at these mushrooms, you might be lucky enough to find some edible ones. Dryad’s saddle (Polyporus squamosus) or pheasant back mushroom is one of these valuable wild edibles. In the wild, you can recognize these […]
Maitake, the Wonderful King of Mushrooms
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is a type of mushroom that’s native to China, Japan, and North America. To Westerners, maitake is often called hen of the woods and sheep’s head mushrooms. Despite being a native to North America as well, these mushrooms are more commonly found in Asian supermarkets throughout the US. The name Maitake itself […]
Hen of the Woods – Powerful Medicinal and Edible Mushroom
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in October 2018. Updated April 2022. The hen of the woods mushroom (Grifola frondosa) is one of the most, if not the most, commonly foraged mushrooms in the northeastern United States. Also often known as the maitake mushroom, hen of the woods is native to both the United […]
Simple Chicken of the Woods Recipe
Chicken of the Woods Chicken of the woods is a great mushroom for beginners. It’s easy to identify and has no known toxic look a likes. It has a meaty but delicate flavor. To find out more information about chicken of the woods including where to find it and how to identify it visit to our chicken […]