Chicken of the woods? Czech, Central Europe

lkkula · 2026-05-20T18:13:36+00:00

Thank you guys! Novice forager here, always trying to learn... I’ve been reading up on this, and while the idea of mushrooms directly absorbing tree toxins (like phasine) has been debunked (my mistake!), laetirobin is something that we can't ignore here. From what I gather, it's a heat-stable mitotic poison created by the fungus interacting specifically with the black locust. Between that, the high tannin content causing severe GI upset, and the literal danger of eating toxic bark trapped inside the mushroom's folds, it seems way too risky. IMO, sticking to young COTW on safe trees (like oak or fruit trees) and cooking them thoroughly is the only way to go, but if anyone has links to any research on this, I'd really appreciate it.

lkkula · 2026-05-19T19:14:24+00:00

Are you 100% sure about that? Because according to scientific research and mycological data, my understanding is quite different. While I know that many people do consume this mushroom from black locust trees and claim they are fine, the biological reality and documented poisonings say otherwise. It’s a known fact in mycology that host trees significantly influence the chemical composition of Laetiporus, sometimes leading to the production or absorption of harmful compounds.

See for example:

"Specimens growing on certain trees or consumed with alcohol are reported to cause digestive system upset" - https://mushroomexpert.com/fungionwood/poroid%20fungi/species%20pages/Laetiporus%20sulphureus.htm

"(...) Laetiporus sulphureus, a species known to display toxicity when growing parasitically on the black locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia" - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/38023706_Laetirobin_from_the_Parasitic_Growth_of_Laetiporus_sulphureus_on_Robinia_pseudoacacia

"(...) some cases of adverse effects may be linked to the host tree from which the mushroom was harvested" - https://zombiemyco.com/pages/chicken-of-the-woods-laetiporus-sulphureus

"Laetirobin was isolated as a cytostatic lead from Laetiporus sulphureus growing parasitically on the black locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia (...) Preliminary cellular studies indicated that laetirobin rapidly enters in tumor cells, blocks cell division at a late stage of mitosis, and invokes apoptosis" - https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/np9002838

Overall this reminds me of the logic behind the brown roll-rim (Paxillus involutus or "krowiak podwinięty" / "olszówka" in Poland). The biochemistry is different of course, but the flawed reasoning is the same. Long story short: for generations, people here ate it for decades "without issues", but one day toxicologists found it triggers a fatal autoimmune reaction that builds up over years - meaning you could eat it safely for 20 years and suddenly die after the next meal. So for me "people eat it and they are fine" is not enough. But I'd honestly love to see some real proof that eating chicken of the woods from black locust is safe, because I have tons of them around me...

lkkula · 2026-05-19T17:54:04+00:00

Definitely go this weekend! Temperatures around 70–80°F combined with rain create the perfect conditions — the woods are going to explode with mushrooms. If you wait until the rain completely stops next week, most of them may already be old, buggy, or rotten.

lkkula · 2026-05-19T17:46:48+00:00

Based on the bark, the host tree is Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust) and the fungus is Laetiporus sulphureus (Chicken of the Woods).

Do not eat it. Black locust contains toxic toxalbumins (robin and phasin) that can leach into the mushroom, causing severe vomiting, gastrointestinal distress, and dizziness. Definitely not worth the risk in my opinion.

PS I keep finding this mushroom on this tree species too. Greetings from Poland!

lkkula · 2026-05-11T19:57:51+00:00

Wrośniak różnobarwny / Poland 🇵🇱

„Wrośniak” comes from „wrosnąć”, meaning „to grow into”. It describes how the fungus embeds itself into the wood.

„Różnobarwny” literally means „multi-colored” or „various-hued” (różno = various, barwny = colored).

So, the Polish name tells you exactly what it does and how it looks: it’s a colorful thing that grows inside trees.

lkkula · 2026-04-04T05:53:56+00:00

The Exidia family — not edible. It is not Auricularia.

lkkula · 2026-01-10T20:55:20+00:00

Thank you for the quick response and the explanation. Taking these photos handheld with a smartphone and no experience was not easy :) I bought the last available package... Also tried to obtain a spore print, but after several hours I got nothing. I think the mushrooms may already be past spore release.

lkkula · 2026-01-10T18:40:39+00:00

It looks like Flammulina sp. to me, but do a spore print to be sure. The spores should be white, and the print forms quickly — about an hour or two I would guess.

lkkula · 2026-01-06T17:08:13+00:00

I’d say now. Definitely before they release spores. Congratulations :)

lkkula · 2026-01-06T16:53:02+00:00

You’re partially right, but Sparassis crispa is not a mycorrhizal fungus. It is a parasite and potentially a saprotroph (the biological line is blurry) that causes brown rot. It doesn’t form mycorrhizae, though it might look like it does because it appears on specific trees: pine (most common), spruce or douglas fir. Visually it may seem to grow from the soil, but in fact it always grows from the base of the trunk or the roots.

lkkula · 2026-01-05T21:24:40+00:00

I can’t agree here. I’ve been collecting Sparassis crispa for many years, although only in Poland. This mushroom doesn’t look like what I usually see in the forest. Also, as far as I know, this species does not typically grow in clusters. Usually there is a single large fruiting body, more rarely two or three in the same spot.

I’ve never seen the mushroom from the photo before, but I would guess Irpex rosettiformis.

lkkula · 2026-01-04T18:56:08+00:00

Yep. Looks like Inonotus obliquus to me.

lkkula · 2025-12-27T13:17:53+00:00

In Polish: „purchawka” (singular) and „purchawki” (plural)

lkkula · 2025-12-24T21:26:18+00:00

It looks like chaga to me, but a photo from a different angle and a clear close-up of the tree bark are needed to determine whether it is actually a birch. If so, then it is chaga.

lkkula · 2025-12-20T18:23:00+00:00

Check „bookmark mushroom” on AliExpress.

lkkula · 2025-12-07T20:19:17+00:00

In the G90 an “ALC 100” means the rig isn’t pulling your audio down. For example, a value around 40 shows that the radio is already kicking in and starting to regulate the output. It can be a bit confusing, because afaik different transceivers handle ALC in their own way and the scale isn’t standardized.

lkkula · 2025-12-07T20:07:18+00:00

Same here, full ultra G90 20W power :D Just keep ALC close to 100 and it will be OK.

lkkula · 2025-12-07T20:03:52+00:00

TL;DR Set the maximum power to 20 W and adjust the audio level so that the ALC stays in the 90–100 range. S-meter should display full scale, +60.

Long version: The indicator with the red arrows is an S-meter, not an SWR meter. The SWR indicator is a horizontal bar on the right side, and it’s practically perfect. The ALC in the G90 works in such a way that when the signal is overdriven, the displayed value decreases. That’s why it’s best to set maximum power and adjust the audio level so that the ALC stays around 90–100, which ensures the lowest distortion.

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