# Hemlock Varnish Shelf (*ganoderma tsugae*) The Hemlock Varnish Shelf is a colorful mushroom that grows on trees! It looks like a shiny, varnished shelf and can come in various shades of brown and red. - **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 27 - **Habitat:** It lives on decaying wood, especially on hemlock trees in forests. - **Also known as:** Hemlock Shelf Mushroom, Shiny Hemlock Fungus, Tsuga Varnish ![Hemlock Varnish Shelf](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ganoderma_tsugae.jpg&width=800) Photo: RattBoy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ganoderma_tsugae.jpg) ## Appearance The Hemlock Varnish Shelf is a striking, shelf-like fungus with a glossy cap that looks like it has been varnished, typically reddish-brown and often featuring a bright white or yellowish margin. Its surface feels hard and woody, distinguishing it from softer bracket fungi. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Fungi - **Phylum:** Basidiomycota - **Class:** Agaricomycetes - **Order:** Polyporales - **Family:** Polyporaceae - **Genus:** Ganoderma ## Interesting facts - It can live for many years, sometimes showing growth rings like a tree. - It creates a rust-colored dust of spores that can cover everything underneath it. - Its shiny top feels like a hard, polished wood, not a soft, squishy mushroom! - This fungus sometimes 'weeps' clear liquid droplets from its surface! ## Special abilities - **Varnish Shield:** Hemlock Varnish Shelf has a tough, glossy cap that helps them shed water and resist damage from insects and weathering. - **Wood Recycler:** Hemlock Varnish Shelf can break down dead trees because of special enzymes, returning vital nutrients to the forest floor. - **Spore Cloud:** Hemlock Varnish Shelf can release millions of microscopic, rust-colored spores that help them spread to new trees. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 3-15 cm - **Edible:** inedible - **Size:** 5-25 cm - **Growth Substrate:** wood - **Season:** Year-round - **Spore Color:** Rust-brown ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** [Eastern Hemlock](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-hemlock) (*Tsuga canadensis*) — Grows as a decomposer or weak parasite. - **Depends on:** [Red Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-spruce) (*Picea rubens*) — Can also be found on other conifer species. - **Eats:** [Leopard Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — Slugs may occasionally graze on the surface. ## 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. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [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 Hemlock Varnish Shelf? 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 Hemlock Varnish Shelf? 3-15 cm ### Is Hemlock Varnish Shelf edible? inedible ### How big is Hemlock Varnish Shelf? 5-25 cm ### Where is Hemlock Varnish Shelf usually found? It lives on decaying wood, especially on hemlock trees in forests. ### What does Hemlock Varnish Shelf grow on? wood ### When is Hemlock Varnish Shelf in season? Year-round ### What color are Hemlock Varnish Shelf spores? Rust-brown ## Where to spot - [Bald Eagle State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bald-eagle-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest - [Berkshire Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berkshire-botanical-garden) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Chestnut Ridge Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chestnut-ridge-park) — New York, US · Park - [Days Ferry Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/days-ferry-historic-district) — US · Historic District - [Field Farm](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/field-farm) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Harraseeket Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harraseeket-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District [View all places to see Hemlock Varnish Shelf](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/hemlock-varnish-shelf) ## 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: [Hemlock Varnish Shelf: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hemlock-varnish-shelf)