• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Forager | Chef
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Interviews
    • Partnerships
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Mushroom Basics

    Common Mushrooms That Grow on Trees

    Published: Mar 4, 2023 Modified: Jan 27, 2024 Author: Alan Bergo

    If you're out on a hike, or just poking around the back 40, you're likely to see mushrooms growing from trees in the woods. Some of them are edible, some aren't. For the purposes here, I've gathered useful, common mushrooms you can eat, since that's what I'm usually looking for.

    An old oak tree with orange mushrooms growing out of the side.

    It's important to know that the title is a little misleading. While mushrooms may appear to grow on trees, what we see is only the fruiting body that will eventually make spores and attempt to reproduce. The mushroom life force, or mycelium, is inside of the tree, waiting for the right conditions (temperature, rain, and seasonality) to fruit.

    Mushrooms That Grow on Living Trees

    Most of the mushrooms I look for that grow on trees grow on living, or injured trees. As you'll see, there is some overlap between the two. Here's a few very common mushrooms you might see on your next hike.

    Oyster Mushrooms (Pluerotus and others)

    Oyster mushrooms (Pluerotus species and relatives) are some of the most common mushrooms found on trees. Most of these are easy to identify, and all are edible with no poisonous mushroom look alikes.

    Elm oysters or Hypsizygus ulmarius on a tree
    H. ulmarius.
    Golden Oyster Mushrooms or Pleurotus citrinopileatus
    P. citrinopileatus.
    S. serotina. (photo credit Ariel Bonkoski)
    P. dryinus.
    P. populina.

    Depending on where you are and what kind of trees are in your area, there can be a number of different species to look for. All oyster mushrooms have gills and white spore prints.

    • Elm oyster mushrooms (Hypsizygus ulmarius) grow on elm trees and box elder.
    • Aspen oyster mushroom (Pluerotus populina) grows on aspen.
    • Pluerotus dryinus is found late in the season growing on oak and beech.
    • Late Fall Oyster (Sarcomyxa serotina or Mukitake) is eaten in Japan. There's been confusion over claims it contains carcinogens, but that information has been disproven and the mushroom is fine to eat. Reference.
    • Golden Oyster Mushrooms are a new, invasive species that grows on elms, cherry and other hardwoods.

    Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus)

    A close up of a yellow and orange mushroom growing on a tree.

    Chicken of the woods are extremely common, edible, and found around the world. They grow from living and dead trees, stumps, and over roots. Depending on the species they can grow from coniferous or deciduous trees. There's a number of species, and all of them are edible, with caution. Read more about them in my post Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms.

    Hen of the Woods or Maitake Mushrooms (Grifola frondosa)

    A very young hen of the woods growing at the base of a maple tree.

    Similar to chicken of the woods, maitake are a parasite of trees, typically white and red oak, but occasionally on maple. They cause a butt rot in the host tree, and are common on stumps, downed trees, and living trees.

    Long appreciated in Japan where they're known as maitake (dancing mushroom) they're edible, delicious, and widely appreciated by many foragers East of the Rocky Mountains. Read more about them in my post on Hen of the Woods.

    Resinous Polypore (Ischnoderma resinosum)

    ischnoderma resinosum or resinous polypore mushrooms on a tree

    This common parasite of hardwood trees appears in the summer and is common on oaks. It's a good mushroom for foragers to know as it's edible and underappreciated, meaning it tastes great, but not a lot of people harvest it.

    Some people call it salisbury steak of the woods, or beef of the woods, and that's a pretty good comparison. Read more about them in my post on Resinous Polypore/Ischnoderma resinosum.

    Hericiums

    A Hericium coralloides or coral tooth mushroom on a log covered in moss.

    The genus Hericium includes lions mane and its cousins is commonly found on dying oak trees. While the coral tooth fungus (Hericium coralloides) and bearded tooth mushroom (Hericium americanum) seem to prefer dying and fallen oak trees covered in moss, lions mane (Hericium erinaceous) also likes to grow on trees that are still standing. All Hericium are edible, and taste great. Read more about them in my post Lions Mane and Hericium Mushrooms.

    Enokitake (Flammulina velutipes)

    Wild enokitake growing on an elm tree.

    Enokitake, also known as enoki and the velvet shank mushroom, are parasitic, saprobic decomposers of wood, especially elms. These are the same species of edible mushroom found in stores, but have brown stems and a yellow to orangeish cap when exposed to sunlight.

    They appear in the Spring and will continue to fruit throughout the year. Make sure to be able to identify Galerina marginata if you plant to eat them. Read more about them in my post on Enokitake or Velvet Shank Mushrooms.

    Pheasant Back (Cerioporus squamosus)

    cerioporus squamosus dryad saddle or pheasant back mushroom

    Also known as the dryad saddle, the pheasant back is a parasite and decomposer of hardwood trees, especially box elder and elms. Named for it's cap scales that resembles pheasant feathers, it's a common Spring mushroom, but can be found throughout the year.

    It's edible, and tastes very good, but gets tough quickly as it grows so it must be sliced thinly. Read more about them in my post on Dryad Saddle or Pheasant Back Mushrooms.

    Wood Ear (Auricularia judae)

    Wood ear mushrooms growing on a tree.

    Wood Ear Mushrooms, also known by the outdated name of "Jews Ear" are a common decomposer of hardwood trees, often seen growing on branches. Long enjoyed in Asian cuisine, they can be added to soups and broths, especially wood ear mushroom ramen.

    Witches Butter (Tremella mesenterica)

    A small yellow witches butter mushroom growing on a tree.

    Another common tree mushroom is witches butter. This is a commonly found yellow jelly fungus often seen on fallen branches. It has a lobed appearance, and is slimy or sticky when wet.

    It's an edible mushroom, and some foragers like to simmer it in sugar syrup to make mushroom jelly candies. If you want to try that, you can substitute them in my recipe for candied black trumpet mushrooms.

    Mushrooms That Prefer Dead Trees

    Some mushrooms prefer dead or rotting trees over living ones, although some species like Hericium enjoy feeding on both. Here's two very common ones you might come across.

    Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor)

    A top-down image of turkey tail mushrooms growing on a tree.

    One of the most common mushrooms on trees in North America, and a popular mushroom mostly known for its "medicinal" benefits. Turkey tails are a decomposer of logs and stumps of deciduous trees, and on the rare occasion, coniferous trees. They're widely used as a medicinal in things like mushroom tinctures.

    Crown coral (Artomyces pyxidatus)

    Crown Coral Mushrooms or Artomyces pyxidatus on a piece of slate

    The crown coral mushroom is very common where I live in Minnesota. These only grow from dead, fallen logs that are decaying, and will never grow from live wood. They're commonly confused with species of coral mushroom or Ramaria, some of which are edible. The key to separating the two genera of fungi is that Ramaria will only grow from the ground, where crown corals only grow from dead and dying wood. Learn more about them in my post on Crown-Tipped Coral Mushrooms.

    Tree Feeding Mushrooms and Other Fungi

    Besides the mushrooms mentioned here, there's also many other mushrooms that may grow on trees that you may not notice. One of the most common are crust fungus. There's many different genera here, including Phlebia, Stereum, and Thelephora. They're common wood-decomposing fungi.

    Another example is cherry knot fungus (Apiosporina morbosa), also known as black knot. It appears as charcoal-like swelling black growths on branches of cherry trees that have been injured, as well as plum trees. Cherry knot fungus will inhibit fruiting, but can be kept in check by regular pruning or fungicides.

    black knot fungus on a cherry branch
    « Caramelle: Candy-Shaped Pasta with Squash Filling
    Creamy Black Truffle Gnocchi with Mushrooms »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jacob

      March 27, 2025 at 4:05 pm

      This was really helpful. I have at least 3 of these in my yard!!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        March 27, 2025 at 4:14 pm

        Thanks Jacob

        Reply
    2. laverne hicks

      February 09, 2025 at 7:40 am

      Hello I found mushrooms growing on a maple tree stump in my yard. Seem
      white with a brownish edge is it edible?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        February 09, 2025 at 7:59 am

        I can’t tell from a description. If you want you can send me a picture via email. One thing to consider first is: does it look like something you’d want to eat?

        Reply
    3. Sinclair

      December 03, 2023 at 2:06 pm

      I will search your site, but if you have any recipes for sarcomyxa serotina mushrooms, please let me know where they can be found. It’s a big year for them so far in Seattle! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        December 03, 2023 at 4:30 pm

        Hi Sinclair. I actually hadn't sought them out until this year. Keep an eye out for next week's newsletter 🙂

        Reply
    4. Celeste L McCaslin

      September 27, 2023 at 9:24 am

      Please send me advise on how to remove wild mushrooms mammaswright2@yahoo.com

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        September 27, 2023 at 11:29 am

        You'll need to use a fungicide.

        Reply
    5. Diane Cunningham

      August 01, 2023 at 9:21 am

      Found this on ground after windy storm. Looks like it came from crotch of our silver maple. Trying to identify what kind. 12" across, smooth both sides, cream colored. Can I send you pictures?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        August 01, 2023 at 2:23 pm

        Hi Dianne. You can send some pictures to me via email. I may be able to help. alanbergo3 AT gmail.com

        Reply
    6. Carol-Anne

      July 25, 2023 at 6:14 pm

      I have mushrooms growing on the side of my long dead elm tree. Use to have morels growing around the base, but for some reason this year they didn’t come up there.
      I’d like to send you a picture of the mushrooms on the tree, to see if it’s any good

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        July 26, 2023 at 8:29 am

        Sure. send me an email. alanbergo3 AT gmail.com

        Reply
        • STEVE KUHRT

          July 31, 2023 at 5:20 pm

          Split trunk areas of Sasprullila Tree full of smaller brown capped mushrooms. What are these? Can send pics...

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            August 01, 2023 at 2:24 pm

            I'm not familiar with sasparilla associates. I would post these in one of your local facebook mushroom groups.

            Reply
          • Amy

            August 22, 2023 at 11:38 am

            The top pic with several layers in a tree is what I was trying to find out more about, grow in willow family. The size starts small and gets bigger as it goes down.

            Reply
            • Celeste McCaslin

              September 27, 2023 at 9:22 am

              I've found these white mushrooms growing on my dead oak trees inside @outside they have been showing up in my yard also they r very hard I pulled them to remove them but they keep coming back I don't want them if I send u pictures can u tell me how to remove them without killing my lilacs

        • Invisibilian1@gmail.com

          December 11, 2023 at 3:19 pm

          I'm going to send you some pics in an email,
          Some fungus growths, on dead oak, in western Oregon.
          Tan on top, white underside. Very firm in composition

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            December 13, 2023 at 9:39 am

            OK.

            Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

    More about me →

    Get The Book

    the forager chef's book of flora
    The Forager Chefs Book of Flora

    As Seen On

    An image showing many different brands and media companies forager chef alan bergo has worked with.

    Footer

    Privacy

    Subscribe

    Be the first to hear what I'm doing

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Forager | Chef LLC® Accessibility Statement