Oak Curtain Crust (Hymenochaete rubiginosa) -- Habitat, Season & Foraging Guide

Habitat

Woodland

This species is found on dead wood, particularly the unbarked stumps and rotting logs of deciduous trees, with a strong preference for oak.

Fruit body: Forms dense, tiered brackets ranging from 1 to 6 cm in width. They are typically attached at the center and can form spreading patches, appearing wavy or lobed at the edges. Occasionally found as a flat crust on the wood surface.
Upper surface: Marked with distinct concentric ridges and zones of color. Initially velvety or covered in fine hairs, it becomes smooth and darkens from deep rust-brown to nearly black as it matures.
Lower surface: The fertile surface is smooth to slightly warty. It begins as orange-brown or rust-brown and darkens to deeper brown with age, often featuring a paler margin.
Flesh: Thin, brittle, and leathery or tough in consistency. Color ranges from grey-brown to rust-brown.
Stem: Either entirely absent or present only as a rudimentary attachment point.
Spore print: White to yellowish or olive.

Plan ahead with 10-day forecasts, see what people are finding nearby, get photo IDs, and track your finds.

Not edible

The flesh of this mushroom is thin, brittle, leathery, and tough, making it unsuitable for consumption.

Misidentification can be fatal. Never eat a mushroom unless you're 100% sure. This information may be inaccurate. Always consult multiple sources.

Saprotrophic

It obtains nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter, primarily wood.