Shelf Mushrooms: Polypores

Types of Shelf Mushrooms Artist's Conk Coltricia perennis Dyer's Bracket Red-belted Polypore Turkey Tail Types of Mushrooms

Bracket or shelf mushrooms are a broad group of mushrooms, relatively easy to identify during a walk in almost any woodland area.

Most species grow like shelves on both live and dead trees. A few species grow from the ground, close to host tree's root system.

The picture on the left illustrates another of their common names, polypores. Their white bottom is composed of multiple pores.

Polypores are not the only types of mushrooms that grow on trees. In fact, tree stumps are commonly used as growing mediums in many commercial mushroom enterprises.

As a group, shelf mushrooms are not considered edible mushrooms. The Types of Mushrooms link provides some general information on common edibles.