Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) is a highly sought-after edible fungus known for its vibrant, shelf-like appearance and meaty texture. Distributed across North America and Europe, it typically fruits on dead or dying trees. Foragers often find this mushroom appearing to emerge directly from the soil, leading to confusion about whether it truly grows on the ground. This article addresses that observation and explains its typical growth habits.
Growing on Buried Wood and Roots
Chicken of the Woods mushrooms are decomposers and always require wood to grow. When the fungus appears to be growing out of the ground, it is actually fruiting from a subterranean wood source, such as a buried stump, dead tree roots, or lumber covered by soil. The main body of the fungus, the mycelium, is a network of microscopic filaments feeding on this hidden woody material. This growth pattern is common with Laetiporus cincinnatus, a close relative of L. sulphureus, which functions as a root and butt rot fungus.
The visible mushroom (fruiting body) is the reproductive structure extending upward from the extensive mycelial network below the surface. L. cincinnatus, often called the white-pored Chicken of the Woods, is known for forming large, circular rosettes seemingly on the forest floor. When this mushroom is found in a cluster on the ground, digging slightly will almost always reveal the buried piece of decaying wood that serves as its host. This confirms the fungus is strictly lignicolous (feeding on wood) and not terrestrial (feeding on soil nutrients).
Typical Habitats and Host Trees
The more common growth pattern for Chicken of the Woods is as an overlapping, bracket-like structure found on the trunks of standing or fallen trees. The fungus acts as either a saprobic organism (decomposing dead wood) or a weak parasite, causing decay in the heartwood of living, stressed trees. This activity results in a reddish-brown cubical rot, weakening the host structure over time.
The preferred hosts for Laetiporus species are hardwood trees, particularly deciduous species like oak, chestnut, beech, and cherry. Oak trees are the most frequent host across North America and Europe. While occasionally found on conifers, the fungus’s preference for hardwoods is a consistent characteristic of its typical habitat. The location of the fruiting body is determined by where the mycelium has colonized the host wood.
Identifying the Mushroom Safely
Safe identification involves recognizing several distinct visual characteristics. The most notable feature is its bright color, which ranges from a vivid sulfur-yellow to a salmon-orange on the upper surface, often with a paler yellow underside. It grows in large, multi-shelved clusters that are soft and spongy when young.
A defining feature is its lack of traditional gills; the underside is covered in tiny pores, classifying it as a polypore. This pore surface distinguishes it from toxic look-alikes, such as the Jack O’Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius or Omphalotus illudens), which is orange but has true gills. For safe consumption, confirm the host tree. Specimens found on certain conifers, like yew, are widely advised against due to the potential for the fungus to absorb or be contaminated by toxic compounds from the wood.