# White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods (*laetiporus cincinnatus*) The White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods is a bright orange-yellow mushroom that looks like a chicken's drumstick! It grows on trees and is fun to find during a nature walk. - **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** It lives on the trunks of hardwood trees, especially oak and cherry. - **Also known as:** Sulfur Shelf ![White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/7741678/medium.jpg) Photo: Sean Bloom, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/7741678) ## Appearance The White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods has bright orange to yellow-orange shelf-like fruiting bodies that grow in rosettes. Its underside is covered with tiny white pores, distinguishing it from other similar orange fungi. It usually appears at the base of hardwood trees. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Fungi - **Phylum:** Basidiomycota - **Class:** Agaricomycetes - **Order:** Polyporales - **Family:** Laetiporaceae - **Genus:** Laetiporus ## Interesting facts - It bursts out of buried tree roots, not just trunks! - Its bright orange color helps tell forest friends it's here! - This mushroom can grow huge, weighing many kilograms! - Unlike many fungi, it has tiny pores underneath, not gills! ## Special abilities - **Wood Worker Wonder:** The White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods can break down dead wood because it releases special enzymes that help recycle nutrients. - **Acid Attack:** It has the ability to produce oxalic acid that helps it decompose tough wood, making it easier to digest. - **Color Signal:** This fungus has vibrant orange colors that may help deter certain animals or signal its presence in the forest. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-30 cm - **Edible:** edible - **Size:** 10-60 cm - **Growth Substrate:** wood - **Season:** Late spring to fall - **Spore Color:** White ## Ecological connections - **Parasitizes:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — often grows on the roots and base - **Parasitizes:** [Black Cherry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-cherry) (*Prunus serotina*) — can be found growing on live trees - **Parasitizes:** [Red Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-maple) (*Acer rubrum*) — a common host tree in eastern forests - **Eaten by:** [Leopard Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — slugs often graze on its soft tissues ## 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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Some mushrooms can be poisonous, so always ask an adult before touching or eating them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-Pored 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 White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods? 5-30 cm ### Is White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods edible? edible ### How big is White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods? 10-60 cm ### Where is White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods usually found? It lives on the trunks of hardwood trees, especially oak and cherry. ### What does White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods grow on? wood ### When is White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods in season? Late spring to fall ### What color are White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods spores? White ## Where to spot - [Brooklyn Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooklyn-botanic-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden - [Canal Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/canal-park) — District of Columbia, US · Park - [Concord Monument Square-Lexington Road Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/concord-monument-square-lexington-road-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Rockdale Common Housing District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rockdale-common-housing-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Verona Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/verona-park) — New Jersey, US · Park - [Wildwood Preserve Metropark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wildwood-preserve-metropark) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-pored-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: [White-Pored Chicken Of The Woods Facts — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-pored-chicken-of-the-woods)