Conifer Chickens Causing Rot

Laetiporus conifericola, or "Chicken of the Woods," grows around Potomac. They are a mushroom species known as the "sulfur shelf mushrooms" that grow on conifer trees. These are mushrooms that get their name from how they taste after being prepared correctly.

These mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom and the name Laetiporus is a genus of edible mushroom. There are six North American species in the genus and one species variety that occur in different ecosystems and/or perform different ecological roles.

These bright orange to yellow curling and shelf shaped fungi can grow into brackets sometimes weighing more than 50 pounds. The mushroom may return year after year and thrives until autumn when it can be harvested.

Chicken of the Woods causes brown cubical rot in the host tree. The brown rot is a fungus that digests wet wood therefore causing decay. Fungi rots present different enzymes which may attack the carbohydrates or lignin of the wood.

In addition to being a treat for humans, bears and other animals enjoy mushrooms as well. Pigs, snails, badgers, mice and ants also enjoy the Chicken of the Woods.

Mycologists, who study fungi, and mushroom gatherers maintain the proper way to harvest mushrooms include verification of an edible species, freshness, cleaning and thorough cooking. Mycologists have seen cases where humans can be allergic to edible mushrooms.