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Chicken of the Woods Identification & Poisonous Look Alike
The Chicken of the Woods mushroom key identification characteristics make it easy to identify and distinguish from it’s poisonous look alike.
Chicken of the woods mushroom is a member of the laetiporus genus and 3 most common wild edible species are:
1) Laetiporus Sulphureus
2) Laetiporus Cincinnatus
3) Laetiporus Conifericola
While they all differ a little in the trees they like to grow on and the way they look, in general, they look very similar.
It is commonly referred to as the Chicken of the Woods mushroom, Chicken mushroom, Chicken fungus and Sulphur Shelf mushroom.
The Chicken of the Woods mushroom is a great mushroom for beginner or novice mushroom hunters because it is a very easy mushroom to spot. This is due to it being a bright yellow and orange color that can easily be seen form far away.
It is a mushroom that you don’t want to eat raw though because it has been shown to cause gastric distress when not cooked before eating.
Not only that but another cool thing about this mushroom is they don’t really have any look alikes that are that similar. We will go over the 3 mushrooms that resemble this mushroom the closest but you will soon see how easy it is to distinguish it from those.
Chicken of the Woods Identification
Chicken of the Woods are part of what’s called bracket fungi. This means they have a fan-shaped to almost semi circular shape. You will also notice that the cap is a little wavy in appearance.
The texture can range from smooth to finely-wrinkled with a velvety feel. While young, they come in either bright yellow or bright orange while there are some that develop a reddish brown coloration.
When they mature, the brightness fades away. When young the flesh of the cap is soft yet thick with a watery feel but as it matures, the whole cap becomes tough and crumbles easily. Therefor it is better to harvest this mushroom while it is young and moist.
Chicken of the Woods mushrooms don’t have gills on the underside like the poisonous Jack-O-Lantern mushroom. Instead, it is a member of the polypore family and it has thousands of tiny (microscopic) pores with a white spore print.
Chicken of the Woods mushroom are saprotrophic in nature, so they love to grow at the base of dead or dying hardwood trees and decompose them.
You wont find Chicken of the Woods in an open field. They are commonly found growing on standing or fallen oak trees but you can find them growing on just about any type of hardwood tree. If a hardwood tree has recently fallen then give it a couple years because they like well decomposed trees.
You will also tend to see this mushroom growing in the same location year after year. So, once you find it you can keep returning to get more.
The mushroom has a vast distribution throughout the United States, North America, Canada, Europe, and some areas in Asia. Fruiting season is typically in Autumn but can be found during spring (June) all the way to Autumn (December). That’s a whopping 6 months out of the year that you can find it!
3 Chicken of the Woods Look-Alikes
One of the biggest determining factors to identify the Chicken of the Woods mushroom from the below look alikes is:
- It is a polypore there for it does not have gills or ridges like the Chanterelle or the Jack-O-Lantern mushrooms.
- It does not have a brown velvety look texture on the top of it like the Velvet Top fungus.
- When it is young it’s texture is very pliable while the Velvet Top fungus will be much more tough and brittle.
1) Chanterelle Mushroom
This mushroom does not really look like the Chicken of the Woods very much except that it is similar in the orange color. Even if you harvest this mushroom by accident it is not poisonous and would still be a great find because it is a choice edible mushroom.
The biggest characteristic to distinguish this mushroom from the Chicken of the Woods mushroom is it has ridges on the underside (which kinda resemble gills). This looks nothing like a polypore mushroom on the underside.
You will also tend to see the Chanterelle growing near trees and coming out of the ground so they wont normally be growing directly out of the tree like the Chicken of the Woods mushroom will be.
2) Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom (Poisonous)
This mushroom is also similar in the orange color however this one has gills on the underside while the Chicken of the Woods has tiny pores. So just check the underside and you should be safe.
This one will grow in dense clusters but will be found growing at the base of dead or drying hardwood trees similar to the Chicken of the Woods mushroom. It is also bioluminescent meaning that it can glow in the dark.
Don’t accidentally eat this one though because it is poisonous and you will have a rough couple of days if you eat it.
3) Velvet Top Fungus
This one grows in similar conditions as the Chicken of the Woods mushroom and will be found growing at the base of dead or dying hardwood trees.
The biggest distinguishing characteristic to tell it from the Chicken of the Woods mushrooms is the brownish velvety texture that you can see on the top surface of this mushroom. A normal Chicken of the Woods mushroom will just be an orangish yellow color.
This one is not poisonous however it is not edible either. It has a very tough texture unlike the soft and pliable texture of the Chicken of the Woods.
Chicken of the Woods vs. Hen of the Woods
One final thing to note is the Chicken of the Woods mushroom is not to be confused with the Hen of the Woods (Maitake) mushroom as they are two completely different mushrooms. Here is a picture of the Hen of the Woods mushroom:
Even though it is not a look alike I wanted to put it here because people tend to confuse the name of it with the Chicken of the Woods mushroom.
The Hen of the Woods mushroom get’s it’s name because it looks like the feathers of a hen. The Chicken of the Woods gets it’s name because it taste like chicken.
Chicken of the Woods Nutrition and Health Benefits
The Chicken of the Woods mushroom is jam pack with protein and loaded with some medicinal benefits that most people don’t realize they have. Check out another article we wrote about their nutrition and health benefits:
How To Cook & Store Chicken of the Woods
One of the cool think about this mushroom is that you can cook it just like you do many other chicken recipes and that it will taste just like chicken. Basically it is a great substitute for Chicken.
When it comes to storing this mushroom it is unique in that most other mushroom needs to be cooked before frozen while this one doesn’t. Check out another article we have written on how to cook and store the Chicken of the Woods mushroom:
Wrapping Up
When everything is ‘said and done’, this is a great mushroom for people new to mushroom foraging to hunt for. The look alikes that it does have are very easy to tell apart.
It is also one of the easiest mushroom to find and identify because of it’s bright orange and yellow colors. Not to mention that you can find this mushroom growing for almost half of the year!
It is well worth hunting for this mushroom as well because of it tastes amazing, it is loaded with protein and it is jam packed with medicinal health benefits.
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very good! thank u lots, i found my first wild chicken in the woods in aberdeen,wa!
That is awesome Ben! How did it taste?
Hello,
Do you know anything about this being found on deciduous vs conifers? I found some today but not sure what kind of tree they were growing on and some resources are suggesting they can be dangerous if growing on the wrong type of tree. Thanks!!!
Hi Aly,
You are correct in there being reports about the Chicken of the Woods that grow on conifers to cause some allergic reactions to include:
1) Vomiting
2) Chills
3) Mild hallucinations
There have not been any report of deaths though.
Is believed that possibly the oil in the conifers gets absorbed into the mushroom which causes the reaction but there is no known actual toxin or anything.
Since it appears to be an allergic reaction to the oil it may affect some people and not others.
If you want to be safe you could avoid it completely or possibly try to cook a small sample and see if you experience any symptoms.
Also, if your not sure of what type of tree it is you can post a picture here and we can help you identify it. Also, post some trees of the bark and the dead leaves around it.
Please let us know what ends up happening!
Is this chicken of the woods?
Hi Helena,
From this distance it definitely looks like chicken of the woods.
But to be sure please take some closer pictures of the top and bottom.
Thanks.
Hi Oliver,
We found these in Southeastern Michigan this morning (9/20/2020) and need your help to identify them. We think they may be chicken of the woods but never having looked for them before we need to know exactly what they are. Thanks in advance for any and all help.
Rob T.
Hi Oliver,
Here in another image of what we found this morning in S.E. Michigan. We need your help with identification of these. Thank you.
It doesn’t look to have the organish coloration that is typical of Chicken of the Woods.
Please send some pictures of the underside as well as the tree it was found on.
Thanks.
Any doubt this is edible L Cincinnatus?
How long to cook?
Hello,
It’s definitely a laetiporus.
I normally Sautee them for 10 to 15 minutes with a little soy or teriyaki sauce. Some people will marinate them and grill them just like chicken.
Here is some other ideas:
My friends found this…if it is Chicken in the wood?
That’s definitely Chicken of the Woods…
Congrats! They are beautiful. Enjoy!
Hi. These are growing on a carob tree, perhaps they are Chicken of the Woods? There’s no gills on the bottom.
Hello Naomi,
Nice Find!
From that picture they definitely look like Chicken of the Woods but please take a couple more closer pictures of the top and underside.
Thanks.
Looks like chicken of the woods. Would like your opinion. Found them growing around an oak tree. Not actually on the oak tree… Within a meter of the base of the tree..
Hello,
It appears to be Bondarzewia berkeleyi.
It is still edible but most people recommend to stick to eating the softer edges on it and it can be a good meet substitute.
Regards.
Is this chicken of the woods it is growing on and old oak tree trunk
Yes… Just a little pale because it a little bit older but still good.
Hi Oliver,
What do you think? Chicken of the woods?
Thanks!
Yes! You found a young one.
I was hoping you could confirm whether these are Chicken of the Wood.
Yes! It is pale because it is a little bit older.
Can these mushrooms grow in North America?
Yes.
I found some COTW, twice this week on the same trail. Different spots of course. I always leave a little behind!
Hi Adam,
That is awesome and very nice of you!
Regards.
Came across this while hiking. Is it Chicken of the woods? I didn’t harvest it.
Hi Mike,
That is a beauty! Go back and harvest that Chicken of the Woods!
Best Regards.
Hi! Founds these in my yard today. They started out a few days ago as an ivory colored fungus and today are almost neon orange. Chicken of the woods?
Yes. Nice find Jan!
Hello,
Came across what looks like a Chicken of the Woods today. I’ll need a ladder however to climb up there, are they known to grow up to roughly 20 feet off the ground?
Many thanks
Last year these mushrooms were very light yellow in color so we weren’t sure if they were chicken of the wood or not. This year it’s clear. Enclosing some photos.
Nice Pola!
Hello Oliver,
I’d like to find out what mushrooms these are and whether or not they’re edible. Found them in my backyard.
Hi Musonda,
This one appears to be Honey fungus (Armillaria).
Regards.
Sorry here’s the back of the first image.
Full view
I also found these and I’d like to know what they are and whether or not they’re edible. Thanks for your help
Hi Musonda,
This one appears to be Coprinellus micaceus sensu lato.
Regards!
More
Could this be maitake?
I found this in my mother’s yard. What Is it ? Is it poisonous?
Hi Pam,
Please post a more clear picture of the top, side and underside.
Thanks.
I found this at my local park on the ground. Hoping to get a confirmation on ID and go back and harvest it! Thank you for the blog post, it really helps to know that you can distinguish it from other poisonous mushrooms.
Hi CiCi,
You have found Chicken of the Woods.
Congrats!
So I went back to the park to harvest, and the fungi turned white! I broke a piece off and it evens smells like chicken! I found it growing on a dead tree trunk and it may have been a eucalyptus tree. When it turns white, is it still considered edible?
Hi CiCi,
They turn white or brownish tan when they get old but you can still eat them.
Be careful with it growing on the eucalyptus tree though because some people have reported having an allergy when they eat mushrooms growing on those trees.
The only way to know if to try a little and see.
Regards!
Hey Oliver! Can you confirm that these are chicken of the woods? Thank you so much, super generous of you to reply and help the amateur foragers feel confident 🙂
Hi Rachel,
That is Chicken of the Woods. Nice Find!
Regards.
I found these the other day but didn’t know what they were. Is this a chicken of the woods that is turning old? One is at the base of the tree. Would it still be edible if too old?
And this one…
Hi Dorian,
This looks like Hen of the Woods, aka maitake, Grifola fondosa.
Regards.
Hello Oliver,
Are you able to identify the mushroom in the attached picture?
Thanks,
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
I don’t see that you attached a picture.
I have a large patch of chicken of the woods in my back yard growing on a downed walnut tree. I don’t see walnut trees listed as an ok tree to find and harvest chicken of the woods. Is it? Thank you, Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Please be advised that chicken of the Woods will tend to grow on any type of hardwood tree to include Walnut.
Regards!
Great blog Oliver, thank you.
Any idea what this one is. It’s about 6” diameter . It’s a real beauty. Growing on a poplar tree . I have several of them. This is in southern Ontario Canada
Hi Mike,
This one appears to be Hemipholiota populnea.
Pic #2
Hi Mike,
Looks like Hemipholiota populnea.
Found this in the yard where an oak stump was. Looks like Hen of the woods. Anyway to be sure?
Hello, I found these next to my drive ion my property. I was hoping they were Chicken-of -the-woods but unfortunately not since they have gills. Any idea of what they are? They are on a downed pretty rotted tree, probably an white oak but not sure. Help! I’d love to start gathering mushrooms on my property.
Hello, I found these next to my drive on my property. I was hoping they were Chicken-of -the-woods but unfortunately not since they have gills. Any idea of what they are? They are on a downed pretty rotted tree, probably an white oak but not sure. Help! I’d love to start gathering mushrooms on my property.
Please send a picture of the top side.
I haven’t found anything describing the range of COW. I’ve collected it in the east. Does it grow on the west coast?
Yes they do grow on the west coast as long as the conditions are right.
Hi Oliver
Thanks for your fascinating and inspiring website. I live on the East coast of South Africa in a sub tropical forest environment and found this growing in my garden . I’m hoping you can help with identification and edibleness. A friend has said it’s chicken of the woods but I’m not sure. It doesn’t have gills and smells very mushrooms, is pliable except near the stalk.https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157888698672823&id=744147822
Best wishes
Lee
Please try to send some more clear pictures from the top and bottom sides.