We were out running errands the other day when all of a sudden, while driving, I said, "Chicken of the Woods!" and Zoey, looking out the car window for a chicken, starts yelling "Where...where?"...so very funny! For those that may not know, Chicken of the Woods is another name for a meaty type of edible mushroom Laetiporus Sulphureus found in North American hardwood forests. This type of fungus actually causes a brown heart rot in the wood of standing and fallen oaks and other hardwoods. Being a heart rot fungus, the mushrooms appear above ground (often high on the tree)--or in a position that would have been above ground before the trunk fell.
I backed up the car and we hopped out and went into the woods going after this bright orange mushroom bloom that I had spied. I had never found it on my own before so it was a fun discovery.
It's a pretty nice size too! Completely edible and yummy as well. Will mark this spot for future foraging adventures.
