Late summer to fall
Hen of the woods
Grifola frondosa
Edible
Quality · Good: Quality · Good
- Raw
- Raw consumption not documented
- Cooking
- Cooking recommended, minimum time not established
Large rosette polypore at the base of deciduous trees, formed of gray-brown fronds with white pores underneath.
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Guide contents
Guide contents
Season
August to November
Habitat
Base of old oaks, sometimes chestnuts or other hardwoods, stumps and roots of old hardwoods.
Method
Check several visible features before retaining a species name.
Reviewed scientific notes are shown in French.
- Size
- Fruiting body 20–50 cm
- Smell
- Douce et agréable sur les jeunes exemplaires.
- Taste
- Peut devenir piquant sur les vieux exemplaires.
Three features to check on the specimen.
Rosette of numerous fan-shaped fronds
Rosette of numerous fan-shaped fronds.
Gray-brown to beige color
Gray-brown to beige color, with wavy areas.
White to cream pores under fronds
White to cream pores under fronds.
Examine the specimen in this order.
- Rosette of numerous fan-shaped fronds.
- Gray-brown to beige color, with wavy areas.
- White to cream pores under fronds.
- Common base branched near the roots.
- Typical habitat at the base of oaks or other old deciduous trees.
Features incompatible with this species.
Reviewed scientific notes are shown in French.
- Meripilus giganteus: Meripilus possède de plus grandes consoles et noircit fortement aux blessures; Grifola conserve de petits éventails sans ce noircissement.
- Polyporus umbellatus: P. umbellatus a des chapeaux ronds à pied central; Grifola a des éventails à insertion latérale.
- Bondarzewia mesenterica: Le polypore des montagnes a de grandes consoles plus épaisses et des pores plus gros, surtout au pied des sapins. Grifola possède de nombreux petits éventails plus minces sur feuillus. Il s’agit du taxon européen B. mesenterica.
