Hericium erinaceus

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Hericium erinaceus

This beautiful specimen was several feet tall. 7 November 2022 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.

Smell

Indistinct

Taste

Indistinct

Season

Autumn

Distribution

Rare

Habitat

On living and dead deciduous trees, always on, or inside, the main trunk, favouring beech, with confirmed records on hornbeam and oak

Spore Print

White

Edibility

Should not be collected due to rarity

Notes

I am grateful to Simon Currie for the location of the specimen photographed in 2022. The specimen from 2016 was shown to me by the Hampshire Fungus Recording Group. A specimen was present inside the same tree in October 2020. This fungus is cultivated for food, but wild ones should be left for others to admire, and to allow the species to survive in Britain.

Hericium erinaceus

9 October 2016 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.