Habitat
This species grows on both living and dead wood of broad-leaved trees, particularly beech, oak, and maple. It frequently fruits from scars or wounds on living trunks—acting as a weak parasite—but can persist as a decomposer on standing dead trees or fallen logs. While most associated with old growth broad-leaved woodlands, it is occasionally found on urban hardwoods and in drier live oak woodlands.
Photos
Appearance
- Fruit body
- A large, unbranched, rounded or cushion-shaped mass, measuring 5 to 40 cm across. It starts out white or occasionally pinkish, maturing to creamy-white and eventually discoloring to yellowish, ocher-buff, or brown with age.
- Spines
- Crowded, pendulous, and needle-like teeth hanging downward from the central mass; they are typically 1 to 6 cm long, unbranched, and white, becoming yellow or yellowish-brown as they age.
- Stem
- Usually absent or rudimentary; when present, it consists of a short, tough, solid base or a rooted upper surface laterally attached to the wood.
- Flesh
- White to cream-colored, thick, and firm with a stringy, elastic, or somewhat rubbery texture.
- Spore print
- White to yellowish.
Sporecast is better in the app
Plan ahead with 10-day forecasts, see what people are finding nearby, get photo IDs, and track your finds.
Edibility
This mushroom has a sweet, mild flavor and a stringy, rubbery texture similar to seafood, crab, or meat. It is considered a choice edible when young and fresh but can become sour, acidic, or bitter as it matures and its color shifts from white to yellowish or brown. While mature specimens are distinct, young ones may be confused with other Hericium species like H. americanum, H. coralloides, or H. abietis, which all feature branched structures rather than a single solid mass.
Misidentification can be fatal. Never eat a mushroom unless you're 100% sure. This information may be inaccurate. Always consult multiple sources.
Nutrient Source
otherThis mushroom is primarily known as a decomposer of wood, breaking down dead organic matter in trees and other plant material to obtain nutrients.
Common Names
- Basque
- ahuntz-bizar, triku-tripaki
- Catalan
- bolet carner, vaquetes, pelutxo, barbes
- Czech
- Korálovec ježatý
- Danish
- Pindsvinepigsvamp
- Dutch
- Pruikzwam
- English
- Lion's-mane Mushroom, Bearded Tooth
- French
- Hydne hérisson
- German
- Igel-Stachelbart
- Japanese
- Yamabusi-take
- Macedonian
- Дабова ежовка
- Norwegian
- Piggsvinsopp
- Norwegian Bokmål
- piggsvinsopp
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- piggsvinsopp
- Polish
- Soplówka jeżowata
- Slovak
- Koralovec ježovitý
- Spanish
- seta erizo, hidno erizado, barba de cabra
- Swedish
- Igelkottstaggsvamp, igelkottsvamp
- Ukrainian
- Герицій їжаковий
- Welsh
- Pigau Barfog
Synonyms
- Clavaria caput-medusae
- Clavaria conferta
- Clavaria erinaceus
- Dryodon caput-medusae
- Dryodon erinaceus
- Dryodon hystrix
- Dryodon juranus
- Hericium caput-medusae
- Hericium cardium
- Hericium commune
- Hericium echinus
- Hericium grande
- Hericium hystricinum
- Hericium hystrix
- Hericium notarisii
- Hericium strictum
- Hericium unguiculatum
- Hericium unguiculatum
- Hydnum agaricum
- Hydnum caput-medusae
- Hydnum caput-medusae
- Hydnum caput-medusae
- Hydnum echinus
- Hydnum erinaceus
- Hydnum grande
- Hydnum hystricinum
- Hydnum hystrix
- Hydnum juranum
- Hydnum notarisii
- Hydnum omasum
- Hydnum unguiculatum
- Manina cordiformis
- Martella echinus
- Martella hystricinum
- Martella hystrix
- Martella notarisii
- Medusina patula
- Merisma caput-medusae
- Merisma hystrix
- Steccherinum quercinum