Mushrooms That Grow With Cedars

Laetiporus Conifericola

• Laetiporus conifericola is a particular species of sulfur shelf fungus that feeds on the logs, stumps and other remnants of coniferous trees, including cedars. People sometimes mistake this mushroom as Laetiporus sulphureus or the “chicken of the woods.” Both mushroom species form multiple, shelflike levels on sections of cedar tree. These structures take on a bright yellowish-orange hue. However, while Laetiporus sulphureus is safe to eat and has a renowned taste; Laetiporus conifericola is toxic and can cause physical and mental distress. Symptoms of consuming the mushroom can include hallucination, disorientation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting diarrhea and swelling of the lips. The best way to tell the mushrooms apart is by looking at the trees they are growing on. If you find a sulfur shelf fungus growing on a cedar -- or any other conifer for that matter -- don’t eat it.

Fuscoboletinus Paluster

• In comparison to the Laetiporus conifericola, the Fuscoboletinus paluster mushroom assumes a more traditional or familiar body type. The mushroom consists of a narrow stem section, known as a stipe, and a broad, rounded cap section, known as a pileus. While the top of the Fuscoboletinus paluster’s pileus is a deep-red, the bottom is yellow and has a radially grooved, almost brainlike texture to it. According to the State University of New York College at Cortland, Fuscoboletinus paluster mushrooms most commonly grow in bogs and cedar swamps, where they attach to the logs of decaying conifers. For example, these mushrooms are present in the northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) swamps of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Gymnosporangium Juniperi-Virginianae

• The Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae fungus is not a mushroom in the traditional sense, but a heteroecious, parasitic rust. This means that the fungus relies on two different species of plant to complete its life cycle. While one species is the apple tree (Malus sylvestris), the other is the eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginianus). When spores of the Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae fungus infect an eastern red cedar tree, a mushroom-like mycelium -- or network of filaments -- develops. Unlike most mushrooms, however, this fungal growth has multiple, wormlike tentacles. These tentacles, known as spore horns, are typically orange or yellowish-orange.