by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org
Laetiporus conifericola (Chicken of the Woods) fungus seems to glow in the dark woods in early fall. It’s a real eye-catcher on a gray day!
Chicken of the Woods , L.conifericola is a species of polypore fungus that grows on conifer trees in western North America. It has a counterpart by the same common name (L. sulphureus) that grows on deciduous trees in the eastern U.S. Animals eat it: squirrels break it up into manageable pieces and cache them for winter. One winter day I followed a deer’s tracks directly to a tree where it left crumbs on the snow from its meal, then turned around and went directly away from the tree as if it had deliberately sought out the snack.
Often, the fungal network in a rotting stump will send up flowering parts for several years. This year’s mushroom (9.23.20) is surrounded by crumbs from last year’s mushroom.
