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Edibility
Choice
Lookalike Danger
1 / 5
Habitat
🌳 Oak base, stump
Season
Sep – Oct
"Maitake. Returns to the same oak for decades — mark the tree and come back every fall."
Mushroom ID is a rule-out game. Every entry below describes something that looks similar — learn the differences before eating.

Berkeley's polypore has LARGER, LIGHTER, more leathery leaves and can be TOUGH to inedible. Hen of the woods has SMALLER, DARKER gray-brown fronds in a tighter rosette and stays tender.
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.
Maitake — the "dancing mushroom". A rosette of gray-brown overlapping fronds at the base of oak trees, arriving with the first cool fall nights. Among the easiest choice edibles to identify and among the most productive by weight (5-25 lb clusters).
Base of living or recently-dead oak — especially red and white oak. Less often on maple, elm, and beech. Parasitic-to-saprophytic; returns to the same tree for decades. Fruits in massive clusters at the root flare.
Min Soil Temp
52°F
Moisture Need
rain 1.0in 14d
Drought Tolerance
moderate
Elevation Range
0–6,684 ft
Edible but tough. Stains black when cut or bruised; hen-of-the-woods stays gray-brown. Grows at oak bases too.
Also choice edible. Bright yellow-orange shelves — completely different color and growth pattern.
Base of mature oaks in northern hardwood mixtures. Peak fruiting late-August through September; occasional October re-flushes after warm rain.
Photograph it and log your observation on iNaturalist. The community can help confirm your ID — always get confirmation before eating.