# Dyer's Polypore (*phaeolus schweinitzii*)

The Dyer's Polypore is a colorful fungus that can make beautiful dyes! It grows on the ground and can be found in forests, delighting curious nature explorers.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Forests, often at the base of trees and on fallen logs.
- **Also known as:** colorful polypore, dye mushroom, schweinitzii

![Dyer's Polypore](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Phaeolus_schweinitzii_karhunk%C3%A4%C3%A4p%C3%A4_grovticka.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Olli Manninen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phaeolus_schweinitzii_karhunk%C3%A4%C3%A4p%C3%A4_grovticka.jpg)

## Appearance

The Dyer'S Polypore is a large, irregularly shaped fungus with a velvety, fuzzy surface. When young, it features bright yellow-orange margins and a brown center, later becoming entirely olive-brown to dark brown. Its bracket-like form makes it stand out against tree bases.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Polyporales
- **Family:** Laetiporaceae
- **Genus:** Phaeolus

## Interesting facts

- It often smells faintly of anise, like licorice, especially when freshly cut!
- It's usually found growing at the base or roots of conifer trees.
- Older Dyer's Polypores can grow huge, sometimes over 60 centimeters wide!
- This fungus causes "brown cubical rot," making tree wood crumble into cubes!

## Special abilities

- **Dye Master:** Dyer'S Polypore can create amazing yellow, brown, and green dyes because it contains natural pigments used by artists.
- **Wood Recycler:** Dyer'S Polypore has strong enzymes that help them break down tough wood, recycling nutrients back into the forest soil.
- **Wood Stainer:** Dyer'S Polypore can leave a deep reddish-brown stain on the wood it decays because of specific chemicals it produces.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 10-60 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Spore Color:** Olive-brown

## Ecological connections

- **Parasitizes:** [White Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-spruce) (*Picea glauca*) — Causes root rot in this conifer.
- **Parasitizes:** Ponderosa Pine (*Pinus ponderosa*) — Infects heartwood of older pine trees.
- **Parasitizes:** [Eastern Hemlock](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-hemlock) (*Tsuga canadensis*) — Can weaken and kill hemlock trees.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [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:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Dyer's Polypore?

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 Dyer's Polypore?

5-20 cm

### Is Dyer's Polypore edible?

inedible

### How big is Dyer's Polypore?

10-60 cm

### Where is Dyer's Polypore usually found?

Forests, often at the base of trees and on fallen logs.

### What does Dyer's Polypore grow on?

wood

### When is Dyer's Polypore in season?

Late summer to fall

### What color are Dyer's Polypore spores?

Olive-brown

## Where to spot

- [Penn-Roosevelt State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/penn-roosevelt-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park

## 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: [Dyer's Polypore: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dyers-polypore)