Laetiporus sulphureus (also listed as Polyporus sulphureus) aka. “Sulfur shelf” or “Chicken of the Woods”. The pictures here are the fungus at the early/mid stages of development which is kinda cool, if you ask us.
Common hosts include oaks, black cherry, and other hardwoods. These pictures are from a crusty old willow tree in Elmhurst that has seen better days (taken in November 2018.) Fruiting time of this fungi is summer through fall. There is a wide range of color variations; salmon-colored, orange, sulfur yellow and sometimes pink. Regardless of their color, with age, they all fade to white and then go black. It is a common wood-decaying organism found on the trunk and root collar of trees which also has the potential to progress into larger roots. One of the few brown rots that one will find on deciduous trees. This rot eventually leads to failure in the main stem or at the base of the tree. Usually this fungus is indicative of extensive decay and is reason for immediate removal; however, some trees will test to be sound enough to retain and monitor periodically, but it is important to have an ISA Certified Arborist assess the tree.
Fun fact: It is a highly sought after fungus to cook with and is said to not only have the texture of chicken, but also have a similar taste to chicken…hence the name. Insects and slugs also think they are tasty so aspiring chefs should be quick to harvest them before they are devoured by our insect and slug friends. They get sour as they age, another reason to fetch them promptly. Recommended not to be eaten raw and they should be cooked fully.
