Artist's Bracket
ExploreFungi
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!
Habitat: Wooded areas and on decaying trees
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.
KingdomFungiPhylumBasidiomycotaClassAgaricomycetesOrderPolyporalesFamilyPolyporaceaeGenusGanoderma
Category
FungiRarity
Rare
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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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
Ability
Nature's Canvas
Artist's Bracket has a unique soft underside that instantly changes color when pressed, helping artists create drawings on its surface.
Ability
Wood Recycler
Artist's Bracket can break down dead trees and stumps, returning valuable nutrients to the soil that helps new plants grow.
Ability
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
- Edibility
- inedible
- Cap Diameter
- 10-70 cm
- Growth Substrate
- wood
- Season
- Year-round
- Spore Color
- Brown
Ecological connections
depends on
White Oak
Quercus alba
Decomposes dead wood from oak trees.
depends on
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
Feeds on nutrients from fallen maple trees.
eats
Flat Bark Beetle
Cicones pictus
Beetle larvae sometimes feed on the fungus.
shelters
Red Wood Ant
Formica rufa
Ants can make nests in old, hollowed brackets.
Traits
Spore Producing
Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Also known as
Artist's ConkReishi Mushroom
Collections
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 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
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