Sulphur Tuft

Where it grows

The sulphur tuft fruits from late spring through autumn in dense clusters on the stumps and dead wood of broadleaved trees, especially beech and oak. It is one of the most common wood-rotting fungi across the cool-temperate northern hemisphere.

How to recognise it

Tight clusters of fused-at-the-base small mushrooms, the caps a striking sulphur-yellow with a faintly darker orange centre. The young gills are also sulphur-yellow — a very useful feature — and turn olive then dark purplish-brown as the spores mature. The stem is yellow above and tan below. A small bite reveals an intense, lingering bitterness.

Edibility & cautions

Toxic. The fasciculol compounds cause stomach upset, vomiting, and impaired vision; serious cases (rare) can affect the liver. It is most often confused with edible cluster mushrooms — the sheathed woodtuft (Kuehneromyces mutabilis), the honey fungus (Armillaria), and the velvet shank (Flammulina) — but the yellow gills and intense bitterness are clear warnings. Always take a small taste of any clustered yellow mushroom and spit it out: the bitter signature of sulphur tuft is unmistakable.