I have no idea what species these mushrooms represent. And I wish 1) that I knew and 2) that the variety is edible because last fall these things were growing all over the elm trees in my yard, and in the wood ringing my house.
These pictures are from late in the year – October, I believe, and after we had some frost. I’ll pay more attention this year, because I have no doubt I’ll see them again.
They’re big and meaty. A really solid mushroom. Anyone care to point me in the right direction?
Here’s what I know:
- Whitish cap, with distinctive crackling across the top.
- Pale amber gills that do not extend down the stem.
- Big, burly stem that has a bulbous flare the bottom.
- Irregular shape – they don’t seem to be uniformly round.
- However, the stem is pretty much centered. They are (very sadly) not oyster mushrooms. Very sadly.
They appear to grow singly. I have not seen clusters of them.(I have seen clusters, they grow in small clumps and singly.)- These mushrooms grow on living trees, well off the ground (eye level, and upward.)
UPDATE
I’ve identified these mushrooms – they are Elm Oysters, edible but not super choice. They’re good steamed and then pickled, as they have a firm texture that holds up to that treatment. Note that these are best young, and the pictures in this post show aged specimens. As always, thoroughly identify mushrooms before eating!
