# Chicken of the Woods (*Laetiporus*) The Chicken of the Woods is a bright orange fungus that grows on trees. It looks like a fluffy chicken and is often found in the woods! - **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 20 - **Habitat:** Forests and wooded areas - **Also known as:** Chicken Mushroom, Sulphur Shelf ![Chicken of the Woods](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424429/objects/5117.jpg) ## Appearance The Chicken of the Woods is a vibrant, shelf-like fungus with brilliant orange, yellow, or peach-colored surfaces and bright sulfur-yellow undersides. It grows in overlapping layers, lacking traditional gills, which makes it visually distinct from most other shelf fungi. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Fungi - **Phylum:** Basidiomycota - **Class:** Agaricomycetes - **Order:** Polyporales - **Family:** Laetiporaceae - **Genus:** Laetiporus ## Interesting facts - Indigenous peoples traditionally used it for food, showing its long history as a wild delicacy. - Its bright colors act like a beacon, signaling its presence from far away in the forest. - This fungus can grow huge, with some clusters weighing more than 50 pounds! - Unlike many mushrooms, it doesn't have gills; it releases millions of spores from tiny pores! ## Special abilities - **Wood Weaver:** Chicken of the Woods can break down dead wood because of powerful enzymes that helps them recycle nutrients in the forest. - **Regrowth Power:** Chicken of the Woods can reappear year after year on the same tree because its mycelial network lives inside the wood. - **Vibrant Shield:** Chicken of the Woods has bright colors that might warn some animals it’s not for them, helping protect its fruiting body. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-100 cm - **Edible:** edible - **Size:** 5-60 cm - **Growth Substrate:** wood - **Season:** Late spring to fall - **Spore Color:** White or pale yellow ## Ecological connections - **Parasitizes:** Red Oak (*Quercus rubra*) — Causes brown rot in red oak trees. - **Parasitizes:** [Sugar Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sugar-maple) (*Acer saccharum*) — Decays the heartwood of sugar maples. - **Eats:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Feeds on the fungal fruiting body. ## 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. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [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 Chicken of the Woods? 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 Chicken of the Woods? 10-100 cm ### Is Chicken of the Woods edible? edible ### How big is Chicken of the Woods? 5-60 cm ### Where is Chicken of the Woods usually found? Forests and wooded areas ### What does Chicken of the Woods grow on? wood ### When is Chicken of the Woods in season? Late spring to fall ### What color are Chicken of the Woods spores? White or pale yellow ## Where to spot - [Bellevue Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellevue-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Concord](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/concord) — Tennessee, US · Neighborhood - [Norvin Green State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/norvin-green-state-forest) — New Jersey, US · Forest - [Rockdale Common Housing District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rockdale-common-housing-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Rutgers Ecological Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rutgers-ecological-preserve) — New Jersey, US · Nature Reserve - [Scoville Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/scoville-park) — Illinois, US · Park [View all places to see Chicken of the Woods](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/chicken-of-the-woods) ## 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*) --- Source: [Chicken of the Woods: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/chicken-of-the-woods)