Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)

What does chicken of the woods look like?

A thick, fleshy bracket fungus, bright creamy yellow with bands of orange when young, fading to cream with age. It has succulent, soft and moist crumbly flesh. The upper surface is velvety, and underneath it has very small pores. It has a strong ‘fungusy’ smell.

Fruit body: bracket-form with round, yellow pores.

Spores: white, sometimes pale yellow.

Not to be confused with: giant polypore (Meripilus giganteus), which is very similar but brown in colour.

Where to find chicken of the woods

Chicken of the woods is a common species in the UK. It grows mainly on oak tree trunks, but can also be seen on the trunks of yew, cherry, sweet chestnut and willow from late spring to autumn.

Uses of chicken of the woods

Chicken of the woods fungus is edible, although it does not agree with everyone. It has been known to cause dizziness and stomach upset in some people.

Chicken of the woods is also thought to cause issues when growing on the very poisonous yew tree. Some sources state this is due to the fungus absorbing toxic alkaloids from the yew, while others report it's more likely due to the fungus not being cleaned properly before consumption. Chicken of the woods contains lots of folds and will grow around obstacles, so may contain hidden yew needles or pieces of the bark which are toxic in even small amounts. The best advice is to avoid foraging chicken of the woods from yew trees, just in case.