Edible mushrooms that grow on trees

We're used to looking for most mushrooms on the ground, but quite a few tasty species grow right on trees — on living trunks, dead standing trees and stumps. They aren't alien parasites but ordinary edible mushrooms worth knowing by sight. Let's look at which tree mushrooms you can pick and which are better left untouched.

Why mushrooms grow on trees

These mushrooms feed on wood: some break down dead stumps and logs (these are saprotrophs), others settle on weakened living trees. Their mycelium runs through the wood, and the fruiting bodies appear right on the bark. So look for them not under your feet but at eye level.

Which tree mushrooms are edible

Honey fungus. A classic: honey fungus grows in big clusters on stumps and fallen trunks of broadleaf trees. It comes up quickly after autumn rains. How fast it grows — in the article how fast honey fungus grows.

Oyster mushroom. Grows in overlapping “shingles” on the trunks of broadleaf trees and fruits even in frosty weather. Read about it in the article the oyster mushroom, a mushroom that grows even in winter.

Winter mushroom (Flammulina). Velvet shank appears on trees in late autumn and winter, during thaws, even from under the snow.

Chicken mushroom. Chicken of the woods — a bright yellow, fan-shaped mushroom on tree trunks. When young it's soft and tastes like chicken, hence the name. When old it turns tough and inedible.

Which tree mushrooms are better not to take

Most bracket fungi — hard, woody, hoof-like mushrooms on trunks — are inedible because they're so tough. They aren't poisonous, but they're no good as food.

The main safety rule on trees is the same as everywhere else: a dangerous lookalike of honey fungus grows on stumps. We described in detail how to tell true honey fungus from poisonous ones in the article false honey fungus: how to tell it from the real thing.

Sources

“Key to the Fungi of Ukraine” (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
Pleurotus ostreatus in GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
Wood-decay fungus on Wikipedia.

Frequently asked questions

Which edible mushrooms grow on trees?

The best known are honey fungus, the oyster mushroom, the velvet shank (Flammulina) and chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus). They all grow on trunks and stumps and are well known to foragers.

Why do some mushrooms grow on trees rather than on the ground?

Because they feed on wood: they break down dead stumps and logs or settle on weakened living trees. Their mycelium runs through the wood, and the mushrooms appear right on the bark.

Can you eat bracket fungi?

Most bracket fungi are inedible because of their hard, woody flesh, although they aren't poisonous. The exception is young chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), which is edible while it's soft.

What is chicken of the woods?

It's Laetiporus sulphureus — a bright yellow mushroom on tree trunks. When young it's soft and tastes like chicken, which is how it got its name. When old it turns tough and inedible.

Are mushrooms that grow on stumps dangerous?

Not in themselves, but a dangerous lookalike of honey fungus grows on stumps — false honey fungus. So tree mushrooms, like any others, have to be identified with confidence before you take them.

Which mushrooms grow on trees in winter?

In winter, velvet shank (Flammulina) and the oyster mushroom fruit on tree trunks. Both withstand frost and appear during thaws, so the mushroom season effectively lasts all year round.

How do you pick mushrooms from a tree?

Tree mushrooms are cut with a knife at the base or carefully removed from the trunk. Young oyster mushrooms and chicken of the woods are cut while soft, and old, tough specimens are left behind.