A shelf-forming pale grey to tan mushroom that grows in overlapping clusters on hardwood logs, both wild and widely cultivated.
Where it grows
Oyster mushrooms fruit through the cooler months and after cold snaps, often into winter. They form tiered shelves on the dead wood of broadleaf trees, eventually breaking down the lignin in the log.
How to recognise it
Look for shelves of smooth, oyster-shaped caps, the colour ranging from grey-blue in cold weather to warm cream in autumn. The stem is short and off-centre or absent. White gills run elegantly down what stem there is. The flesh is white and smells faintly of aniseed.
Edibility & cautions
A choice edible. The dangerous look-alike is the angel’s wings (Pleurocybella porrigens) — entirely pure white, paper-thin, growing on conifers — which has caused fatalities. The toxic Omphalotus mushrooms grow on living trees and have orange tones and true gills that glow faintly in the dark.
Culinary use
Tear into strips and dry-fry to drive off water before adding fat; excellent in stir-fries, soups, and as a meat substitute.
Find more mushrooms by letter
Oyster Mushroom starts with O and ends with M. Browse other mushrooms along the same letter.
Mushrooms that contain a letter from "Oyster Mushroom":