# Artist's Bracket (*Ganoderma*)

The Artist's Bracket is a special fungus that has a shiny, colorful surface. It grows on trees and can be used to create art!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 4
- **Habitat:** Wooded areas and on decaying trees
- **Also known as:** Artist's Conk, Reishi Mushroom

![Artist's Bracket](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425856/objects/5119.jpg)

## Appearance

The Artist's Bracket has a hard, shelf-like body, often multi-layered, with a dull brownish-gray top. Its distinguishing feature is a smooth, creamy white underside that instantly bruises dark brown when scratched, perfect for drawing.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Polyporales
- **Family:** Polyporaceae
- **Genus:** Ganoderma

## Interesting facts

- It gets its name because people use its soft underside to draw pictures!
- Its scientific name, Ganoderma, means "shiny skin" in Greek.
- Sometimes, many brackets grow on top of each other, making a fungal "staircase."
- This tough fungus can live for over 20 years on a single tree.

## Special abilities

- **Nature's Canvas:** Artist's Bracket has a unique soft underside that instantly changes color when pressed, helping artists create drawings on its surface.
- **Wood Recycler:** Artist's Bracket can break down dead trees and stumps, returning valuable nutrients to the soil that helps new plants grow.
- **Perennial Power:** Artist's Bracket has a tough, woody body that allows it to survive for many years, growing larger each season.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-10 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 10-70 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Year-round
- **Spore Color:** Brown

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Decomposes dead wood from oak trees.
- **Depends on:** [Sugar Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sugar-maple) (*Acer saccharum*) — Feeds on nutrients from fallen maple trees.
- **Eats:** Flat Bark Beetle (*Cicones pictus*) — Beetle larvae sometimes feed on the fungus.
- **Shelter:** Red Wood Ant (*Formica rufa*) — Ants can make nests in old, hollowed brackets.

## Traits

- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Artist's Bracket?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Artist's Bracket?

2-10 cm

### Is Artist's Bracket edible?

inedible

### How big is Artist's Bracket?

10-70 cm

### Where is Artist's Bracket usually found?

Wooded areas and on decaying trees

### What does Artist's Bracket grow on?

wood

### When is Artist's Bracket in season?

Year-round

### What color are Artist's Bracket spores?

Brown

## Where to spot

- [Benbow Lake State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/benbow-lake-state-recreation-area) — California, US · State Park
- [Elk State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elk-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest
- [Leach Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/leach-botanical-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden
- [Selleck](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/selleck) — Washington, US · Historic District
- [Lakewood Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lakewood-park) — Virginia, US · Park
- [Pinecone Burke Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pinecone-burke-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

[View all places to see Artist's Bracket](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/artist-s-bracket)

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Artist's Bracket: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/artist-s-bracket)