This very beautiful fungus of damaged or felled trees in old (mainly deciduous) woodland is also known as Bearded Tooth or Tree Hedgehog fungus.Hericium erinaceus (synonym: Hericium erinaceum) is rare, in the UK, at least, where it is a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species and grows mainly on hardwoods, particularly beech and oak. Above is a picture of a fine specimen that we found in the Lot Valley, southern France.
This is an edible species and highly prized; fortunately there is no justification for raiding 'the wild' nowadays, because birch plugs impregnated with the white mycelium of this beautiful mushroom can be purchased for inserting into holes in cut logs. Once sealed with wax, the plugs allow the mycelium to spread throughout the log, and in due course cascades of white 'icicles' will emerge.
Hericium americanum
The picture shown above is Hericium americanum, and the photograph was taken in the USA by Nigel P Kent. We are most grateful to Nigel for giving us permission to display this splendid image. (We are still impatiently awaiting our first UK sighting of Lion's Mane fungus, and the New Forest is one location where it is known to have occurred in recent years.)
Classification note: Although DNA analysis has confirmed that many tooth fungi (such as the Hedgehog Fungus Hydnum repandum) are properly classified in the order Canthellales, the Lion's Mane fungi are now included in the order Russulales (but to avoid broken links from sites referring to this one we have left our Lion's Mane page in the Cantharellales section.
Identification guide
Description |
Hericium erinaceus (also referred to as the Pom-Pom mushroom) has a roundish fruitbody with spines all emerging from the same point and cascading down like a mop head, whereas a mature fruitbody of Erinaceus americanum (shown above) usually has several branches. White or pale yellow-brown turning darker with age, the fruitbody is attached to the substrate by a very short, broad stipe.
This remarkable fungus and other member of the Hericiaceae are distinguished by their icicle-like spines, creating the appearance of a frozen waterfall (or a white lion's mane!). |
Size |
The whole fruitbody can be as big as to 30cm across, although 15 to 20cm is more typical.
Spines of Hericium erinaceus have pointed tips and range from 1 to 5cm long. |
Spore print |
White. |
Odour/taste |
Odour not distinctive; when cooked the taste is reportedly delicious and, to some at least, rather like lobster cooked in butter. |
Habitat |
On beech and oak trees, stumps and fallen logs; occasionally on piles of sawdust. |
Season |
July to November |
Occurrence |
Hericium erinaceus is very rare in the UK. |
Similar species |
- Hydnum rufescens and Hydnum repandum also have downward-projecting spines, but they are attached to a smooth-topped cap.
- Hericium coralloides is also very rare in the UK; it has a rubbery, coral-like branching fruitbody and is usually associated with beech and ash trees.
- Creolophus cirrhatus is also very rare in the UK; it has shorter spines and a much thinner brachet-like fruitbody.
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