Turkey Tail
Trametes versicolor
A thin, flexible bracket fungus that grows in overlapping tiers and rosettes on dead hardwood, each fan 3-8 cm across and banded in concentric zones of brown, grey, buff, rust and near-black. The upper surface is finely velvety with a pale, wavy margin; the underside is whitish and covered in very fine pores. The flesh is leathery rather than fleshy, so it is not eaten as a mushroom but dried and simmered as a tea.
Saprotrophic, fruiting on dead hardwood - stumps, fallen branches and cut logs of beech, oak, birch, hazel and willow - and occasionally on the wounded trunks of living trees. Very common throughout Britain and Ireland in woodland, hedgerows and parks, with brackets present in some state all year.
Not toxic, but the flesh is thin and leathery and is not eaten as such: it is dried and simmered, then strained out of the liquid. Always turn a bracket over and check for the fine white pore layer, as smooth or wrinkled poreless crusts are the usual mistake and are not worth picking. Avoid brackets on creosoted posts, treated timber or roadside stumps. Traditional use as a tea is not a medicinal claim.
Always use more than one reference to confirm a plant. You are responsible for what you choose to forage.
Growth form
Grows in dense overlapping tiers, shelves and rosettes on dead hardwood, often covering a whole stump. Each fan is only 1-3 mm thick and bends easily when fresh; a thick, rigid, hoof-like bracket that will not flex is something else.
Upper surface zoning
Concentric bands of contrasting colour run parallel to the margin, typically several distinct tones on one fan. Run a fingertip across them: the zones alternate between finely velvety and smoother, so the banding is felt as well as seen.
Margin
The outer edge is thin, sharp and often wavy or lobed, and is usually paler than the rest of the fan - frequently a clean white or cream line. A thick, blunt, rounded margin points away from this species.
Pore surface
The underside is white to cream and finely porous, with roughly 3-5 small round pores per millimetre - a hand lens helps. A smooth, wrinkled or toothed underside with no pores rules it out.
Flesh and persistence
The flesh is white, tough and leathery, and cuts rather than snaps. Old brackets persist for months, bleaching pale and greening with algae; these are still recognisable but are not worth collecting.
Updated 2026-08-09T11:12:41.624Z · Added 2026-07-17T09:09:05.968Z
Part of the shared Foragers Log catalogue · Fungus