Hen of the Woods

(Grifola frondosa)

Being as there are no toxic members of the polypore family, familiarizing yourself with the four choicely edible members of this family, Hen of the Woods, Beefsteak mushroom, Oyster Mushroom, and the Chicken Mushroom is an excellent idea for the beginner mushroom hunter. Find this widespread, yet elusive mushroom, is a wonderful experience. Once you pick this well camouflaged mushroom out from the background leaves, you will not believe you did not see it before.

Other Names:
Maitaki mushroom, Ram's Head, Sheep's Head

Range:


Family:
Meripilaceae - Meripilus family

Growth Type:
This mushroom is huge, with some specimens reaching 100 lbs or more; It really does look like a large, ruffled chicken, or partridge. It grows from a central point similar to that of a bouquet of grayish-brown, fan-shaped, overlapping caps. The stalks are off center, white, and branching from a single thick base. The underside pore surface is white.

Cap:
¾" - 2¾" wide; overlapping, flat, fan to spoon shaped; grayish to gray-brown; dry, smooth or finely fibrous to roughened. Flesh 3 - 5 mm thick. White.

Stem:
Rudimentary or very short and thick; many-branched; white, smooth.

Tubes:
2 - 3 mm long; descending stalk. pores (1 -3 per mm) angular, white to yellowish

Spores:
5 - 7 x 3.5 - 5 µ; broadly elliptical, smooth, colorless

Spore Print:
White

Height:
3 - 5 mm thick

Miscellaneous characteristics:
N/A.

Season:
September - November

Habitat:
On ground at base of oak and other deciduous trees, and some conifers; also on stumps.

Parts Used:
Entire mushroom

Cautions:
Remember that many gilled mushrooms grow in large clumps, but hen-of-the-woods is a pore fungus, and does not have gills. There are some similar species of pore fungi that are tough and inedible. If what you have tastes leathery and unpleasant, chances are you did not pick a Hen of the Woods.

Culinary Uses:
Perhaps one of the best of all edible mushrooms. Not just because of its choice taste, but because of the sheer volume of mushroom you will end up with.

The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.

Medicinal Uses:
This mushroom is considered an adaptogen. This means that it helps your body adapt to stress of any sort, including infection, mental, physical, or fatigue. It can also help to restore balance and promote general good health. Maitaki has been shown to be high in the polysaccharides D-fraction β-glucans and heteroglycans (Yanli He et al 2019). These phytochemicals have been shown to be effective in the treatment of multiple cancer lines (Jian-Yong Wu et al 2021). Historically this mushroom has been used to regulate blood sugar in diabetics. It is also used to lower cholesterol. Multiple tudies have shown G. frondosa to be effective at treating cancer. In Japan this mushroom is widely used to boost immune function.

Medicinal Actions:
Adaptogen,  Alterative,  Antimitotic,  Antimutagenic,  Antineoplastic,  Antioxidant,  Immunomodulator, Immunostimulant,  Tonic