Top 11 Edible Mushrooms that Grow on Trees (Name & Photos)

Going for a walk through the forest, you can see many attractive mushrooms growing on stumps, fallen, dry, and sometimes living trees.

Some of them, I’m sure, is known to many, but there are also those that people often pass by, considering them inedible. In order to expand your knowledge in this area, today I will tell you about edible mushrooms growing on trees from mushroom species, which should be in the basket of every mushroom picker.

Edible Mushrooms that Grow on Trees

So here are 11 Top 11 Edible Mushrooms that Grow on Trees. Some of them can be found in spring and early summer, while others grow in the main mushroom season (late summer-autumn), but there are some that appear even in winter.

top 11 edible mushrooms that grow on trees

1. Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)

Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) or simply HOA, as it is often called. In the literature, it is described as conditionally edible, and therefore it should be boiled for 30 minutes before use. It is most commonly used for frying and salting. The flesh of the tinder fungus has a slightly sour taste and, according to some people, tastes like chicken. Only young mushrooms are suitable for food (old ones can cause digestive upset). The sulfur-yellow tinder fungus grows mainly from the beginning of May to the end of June, although sometimes it can be found throughout the summer. It is a parasitic fungus, as it often appears on living trees such as oak, poplar, maple, birch, willow, and linden.

2. Scaly polypore (Polyporus squamous)

Popularly, the Scaly polypore mushroom is often called “Dryads Saddle”, because of its characteristic appearance. It is eaten only after boiling, belongs to the edible mushrooms of the fourth category. As a rule, young mushrooms are harvested, as they have a softer structure. Scaly tinder fungus grows all summer, sometimes even from May to September. Chooses weakened trees (maples, elms, and many others) to spawn. This mushroom can often be seen in parks and courtyards.

scaly polypore polyporus squamous

3. Beefsteak Fungus (Fistulina hepatic)

Qualitative, edible mushroom, with a sour taste of pulp. As well as when collecting other tinder fungi, you should focus only on young specimens, which, after collection, are most often boiled and then fried. The liverwort got its name due to its color and shape, similar to the liver. The mushroom grows from mid-July to late September. He chooses live oaks and chestnuts as a habitat, being for them a parasite that destroys wood. Also, read Types of Brown Mushrooms.

beefsteak fungus fistulina hepatic

4. sheathed woodtuft (Kuehneromyces mutabilis)

A very tasty, edible mushroom, which is usually collected only by experienced mushroom pickers. Honey mushrooms make a wonderful soup, they are also good fried. Their growing season varies widely (usually from May to October). For their appearance, summer mushrooms choose hemp, rotten wood. They grow mainly on birches. Be very careful when collecting these mushrooms, because they have an extremely dangerous twin – the deadly poisonous galley bordered!

sheathed woodtuft kuehneromyces mutabilis

5. Honeydew fungus (Armillaria mellea) Mushroom

A good edible mushroom is used in cooking for frying, drying, salting, and pickling. The autumn honey agaric bears fruit very actively, sometimes a rotten tree heaped up can be completely covered with these mushrooms. It settles on both dead and living trees, among which there may be birches, oaks, pines, aspens, elms, and others. Depending on the tree on which it grows, the cap of the mushroom can be lighter or darker. For example, lighter mushrooms are found on birch, and darker ones on oak. These mushrooms are harvested most often from the end of August until the onset of the first frost in October-November. Also take a look at Agaricus bisporus Mushroom Species.

honeydew fungus armillaria mellea mushroom

6. Enokitake (Flammulina velutipes)

On mushroom forums Enoki, it is often called Flammulina, by analogy with the Latin name. An unusual edible mushroom that is not afraid of frost. It grows in autumn and appears during the entire winter period and in early spring under comfortable conditions. Winter mushrooms can be found in parks, courtyards, on the outskirts of the forest, near rivers and lakes. They usually settle on deciduous trees (willows, poplars, maples, less often on others), both living and dead. These mushrooms are eaten mainly in salted and pickled form.

6. Enokitake (Flammulina velutipes)

7. Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Probably many have seen this mushroom, if not in the forest, then in the store, for sure, since it is actively cultivated in many countries. A useful and very tasty mushroom, which is very close to meat in terms of the content of essential amino acids. In nature, it occurs from September to November (sometimes December). It is a saprophytic fungus that destroys wood, grows both on living and dried trees of various deciduous species (birch, poplar, aspen, mountain ash, oak, and others). In cooking, the oyster mushroom is widely used, it is boiled, fried, salted. This mushroom is a low-calorie product.

oyster mushroom pleurotus ostreatus

8. Phoenix Oyster (Pleurotus pulmonarius)

A good edible mushroom, a bit like oyster mushroom, but different from it in a light cap and a thinner structure of the mushroom body. For growth, it chooses dead wood of various species, less often it appears on living weakened trees. The season for the appearance of the pulmonary oyster mushroom is from late May to October. The most delicious mushroom is boiled and fried.

phoenix oyster pleurotus pulmonarius

9. late oyste (Panellus serotinus)

It is considered a conditionally edible mushroom in Mushroom Family, but this makes it no less tasty. Before using it, it must be boiled for 15-20 minutes, then pour the broth. Then the mushroom can be cooked at your own discretion. It is not for nothing that Panelus late got its name, because the time of its growth falls on the period September-December. It was at this time that it can be found in the forest on stumps and the remains of poplar, aspen, linden, and sometimes maple. The mushroom feels comfortable at temperatures from 3 to 8 degrees Celsius. It is better to collect young fruiting bodies since the mushroom becomes quite tough with age.

late oyste panellus serotinus

10. Golden Scalycap Mushroom (Pholiota aurivella)

Most mushrooms from the genus “flake” are either inedible or conditionally edible of low quality. As for the golden scales, this is a good edible mushroom containing a large set of amino acids and minerals (sodium, magnesium, calcium, and others), which other mushrooms cannot boast of. The golden scales are found in the forest most often from August to October. Grows on weakened living trees and deadwood, mainly in groups. In cooking, the mushroom is used for frying, salting, and pickling.

golden scalycap mushroom pholiota aurivella

11. Hen-of-the-wood (Grifola frondosa)

This is an unusual, edible, and rare mushroom that chooses low stumps and root bases of trees such as oak, maple, and chestnut for its appearance. You can see him in the forest from July to the end of September. Curly Griffin has an exquisite nutty flavor, which, by the way, will not please everyone. Despite the indisputable edibility of this mushroom, if you happen to meet it, think carefully, it might be worth leaving such a rare beauty in the forest because this species is included in the Red Book.

hen of the wood grifola frondosa

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many different edible mushrooms above we have discussed 10 edible mushrooms that grow on trees. While some of these mushrooms may be difficult to identify, it is worth taking the time to do so, as they are both delicious and nutritious. For those who are interested in foraging for their own food, learning about these mushrooms is a great place to start.