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Edibility
Choice
Lookalike Danger
1 / 5
Habitat
🌳 Oak, hardwood
Season
Jun – Oct
"Neon shelves on standing dead oak. Young margins taste like chicken — old ones will upset your stomach."
This species is found with or partners with the following hosts. Ectomycorrhizal hosts (green border) form a root-level partnership; ericoid / arbutoid shrubs (purple border) share the same mycorrhizal networks.

Truffle / bolete / chanterelle host. Acorns edible after leaching.

Generic hardwood habitat — oak, maple, beech, birch, etc. Shown when the species is reported from hardwoods generally.
Bright yellow-orange shelving polypore that fruits in bracket clusters on dead or dying hardwood. One of the easiest edibles to identify when on oak or cherry — no dangerous lookalikes in that habitat. The outer 1-2 inches of the shelf is tender; older growth gets tough.
Dead and dying oak, cherry, and chestnut across the eastern hardwood belt. Saprophytic to weakly parasitic — often fruits on the same tree year after year. Summer through early fall, a week after 0.5"+ rain when air temps are warm.
Min Soil Temp
60°F
Moisture Need
rain 0.5in 7d
Drought Tolerance
low
Elevation Range
0–6,684 ft
Specimens on conifers or eucalyptus can cause GI upset in some foragers. Stick to oak and cherry hosts in the East.
All Laetiporus are choice in the eastern oak/cherry habitat, but the pore surface should be bright yellow, not white.
Dead and dying oak and cherry in the Deep South — long summer/fall window with peak fruiting after tropical moisture. Very reliable on storm-damaged snags.
Photograph it and log your observation on iNaturalist. The community can help confirm your ID — always get confirmation before eating.