False Turkey Tail Mushroom (Stereum ostrea)

While I am a big believer that this mushroom deserves a nicer name, the False Turkey Tail mushroom is an accurate identifier. Colloquially named for its resemblance to the Turkey Tail mushroom, the False Turkey Tail mushroom is a beautiful little mushroom whose scientific name points to it’s resemblance to an oyster shell. 

This mushroom is not edible- though it is not poisonous either. It’s texture makes it unappealing for eating but it has been used historically in folk remedies and the light research that has been completed in recent years does agree that anti fungal and antibacterial properties can be found in False Turkey Tails. 

Typically they grow in dense cluster on dead hardwoods, making it relatively easy for me to get them to grow using strategically placed chopped up dead logs. 

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